Family Life and Loves
by densidoodle
Summary: Sam went in the ladies room and found Jackie and said, "Jacks? I think they all believed our chain of events and it is a good thing that Deeks is clearing out his LAPD locker today and spending it at the beach. Callen wants his head on a stick." "All we have left to do is convince the one person who knows if we are lying or not." Both of them said, "Hetty."
1. Chapter 1

Jackie walked into The Citadel. She was finally going to meet her partner and get settled into her remaining eight months in her very meteoric British Naval career. As a Fleet Admiral, she had command of the 10th Fleet in Her Majesty's Navy and was supposed to be halfway to the Panama Canal with said fleet right now, if not for the rats infected with the bubonic plague that were let loose on her the ships and her unsuspecting crews. Of the 700,000 men and women on board the ten ships, 21,000 had died from the plague and another 14,000 were weakened from merely surviving the virus. There had been a communique from her cousin which read: For the Would-be Countess of Donegal, hope you die painfully and slowly. The rightful Earl of Donegal, Robert McDonald.

Jackie seethed as she quarantined those who were ill to one ship, cut off access to the cafeterias of nine of the ships and sanitized the one remaining. She fed her crews out of the one mess hall and they limped into the port of Los Angeles on a rainy October morning. The medical personnel it took to save her crews from dying, the testing of the seemingly healthy to weed out the ill from the healthy, the sheer amount of medicine that those who served gladly with her had to endure was torture in and of itself. The Queen said she needed to clear each ship of the rats individually and sanitized each vessel before they could be sent home to England with the first ship to carry the dead and the crew members that had to be honourably discharged due to suffering the illnesses wrought on them. As Fleet Admiral, Jackie had to stay in Los Angeles to oversee the work done on the ships and the investigation that was to be conducted on board each on as to how the little beasties arrived on board in the first place. She knew who sent them and why, now, she demanded to know HOW.

In The Citadel, she was safe. Her cousin could not get to her in the stronghold she and her adopted big brother had built over the last eight years. It was two stories above ground and two below. It was reinforced steel rebar and concrete walls and had steel walls in the structure to make it able to withstand earthquakes, fires and bombing attacks. It had small cameras installed all around the first and second floor outer walls to prevent anyone from trying to sneak in. The sub-basement was a mini-operation center where all the cameras fed into and all the security was controlled from. The building was self-sufficient, with its own solar powered heat, hot water, electricity, and air conditioning. It also had a satellite dish grouping on the roof that fed into the televisions and the ops center in the sub-basement. Completely off the grid per her brother's idea. He was just as smart as she was in the academic realm of life. They both knew Jackie was the more extroverted of the pair of them and pushed her brother into leading the construction of their building and his new home. Jackie was finally home. She pulled her suitcase to the elevator and took it to her quarters, a three room space that was a kitchen, a living space and a master ensuite bedroom with a lavish bathroom. She pulled out her mobile phone and hit the Number One on her Speed Dial. It rang three times and answered. "Eric Beale. How may I help you?"

"Eric, it's Jackie. I'm finally cleared from hospital and I am at The Citadel. Getting settled in and it looks amazing. Thank you for all the hard work you did. I owe you a huge home-cooked dinner tonight, big brother. Love you!"

"Jackie! I am so glad you like the place! Can't wait to see you at home. Dinner sounds heavenly."

"What are you in the mood for, love?" Jackie asked, taking an inventory of the food in the galley style kitchen in the main floor of their home.

"I just bought steaks and plank fries. I also have some 25 year old Whiskey in the pantry. What do you think of grilled dinner?"

"I can make you Beef Wellington if you want, Eric. It's easy. You'll love it."

"Can't wait! Love you, Jackie!" Eric grinned as he hung up the call.

Just as he hung up, G Callen and Sam Hanna walked into OPS and Callen heard the tail end of the call. "Who's Jackie, Eric?"

Sam asked, "Is she your girlfriend?"

Eric gasped and then, he calmed a bit. He smiled and said, "Maybe you'll find out sooner rather than later, Callen." He shut down his computers to turn them over to the night shift and left for the night whistling Robbie Williams' song 'Supreme' as he headed home to The Citadel.

Callen and Sam just looked at Eric and said at the same time, "There is a story there."

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	2. Chapter 2

Eric drove home. When he walked up to the door, he used the Iris Scan to let himself into the mansion and called out in a loud, sing-song voice, "Pamela! I'm here! I brought a bottle of wine and some English Tea Roses, your favorite!"

Jackie came into the Great Room and said in a rushed voice, "Eric! You know you're the only one of three people on Earth that could ever call me that and live! I go by Jackie now." She took the flowers and the bottle of wine and, looking at the label smiled. "This is a great year for this Merlot! You ARE paying attention to the guys at the vineyard I sent you to! Way to go!" She hugged him and said into his chest, "I missed you so much and, yes, I missed your hugs so much!"

He looked at the five large boxes and the gigantic Louis Vuitton steamer trunk that had been brought into the foyer. "Wow! I am so happy you are moving in! This place is too big for just me. I just can't believe all this is your whole life-I mean only FIVE boxes and a trunk?"

She smiled. "Silly! This is only my essentials. I left the rest of my things in Donegal House. Grandfather is still there and he is surrounded by staff and guards so Robert can't kill him off. He is just as safe there as I am here with you. So, we need a catch up night and this is it. Let's tuck into the Wellington I made for you and me and we can talk like we did when we were kids!"

He saw the amazing meal she had laid out for him and whistled. "Wow! You made enough for leftovers for tomorrow for the whole team! Thanks, Ginge!" as he ruffled the top of her flaming red hair and laughed when she swatted his hand away playfully.

They ate dinner, did the dishes and packed away the leftovers in individual containers marked for G, Sam, Kensi, Marty, Hetty, Eric, and Jackie herself. She smiled as Eric put the last label on a container. "How is Hetty doing? I have not seen her since London in 2007 and she was a firecracker then. She was trying to get a Afghani defector into the U.S. Embassy and needed cover. Me and Keith provided cover and saved her and her defector and got medals for valor for our service to our Ally. I still have Keith's medal in my jewelry box here with me." Jackie said, sadly.

Keith had been a casualty of her battles with her cousin over the Earldom. Grandfather had a one night stand and got a woman pregnant at the same time his wife, her Grandmother was pregnant with her mum. She died in childbirth under mysterious circumstances and Grandfather, in a very vulnerable state, married the woman who became her mum's step-mum. She was vicious to her mother and made her out to be the illegitimate child while her daughter got the fancier of things handed to her on a tray. Jackie's mum died when she was 14 years old just after she had shared in her daughter being accepted to UCLA on a full scholarship for Law and Computer Studies. She had graduated from her A Levels when she was 13 and took her gap year to spend with her mum before she died from breast cancer. When Jackie arrived in California, she was placed in a dorm room all to herself and left alone per her step-grandmother's wish. Madeline McDonald wanted the younger Jackie to be so homesick and depressed that she could just put her in an asylum and leave her to rot after her beloved Ryan had passed away, leaving her daughter Grace to inherit everything and keep her in the rich life she had grown too fond of.

Jackie had shined though, because the met Eric the first full day of computer courses. He was struggling with his English Literature class and she had sailed through the Test-Out Exam for it so, she was assigned to be his tutor. They had bonded immediately and he was very impressed with her maturity as she was four years younger than her was and was so intelligent. She was grateful he was so kind and looked out for her a bit on campus.

Eric pulled her out of her musings when he went to the first giant box and, using a case cutter, sliced through the top taped side. The box was labeled: Family Things. He lifted out the UCLA College Yearbook for the class of 1995 and smiled. They had both graduated top of their class and were named Co-Valedictorians. The pictures of them so young made Eric smile and laugh as he remembered some of the pranks they had managed to pull off together. Then he saw a picture of Jackie, himself and face he knew and one that, until this very moment in time, he did not place in their lives at that point-that is, until right then. The younger version of Marty Deeks with shoulder length hair and those ocean blue eyes was looking at his adopted sister with nothing but love in their caps and gowns. Both she and Marty, or Michael Blandel as he was known to her then and even now, were headed off to UCLA Law School and he was gearing up for the Master's Degree program at Stanford University. She was so happy until she saw that photo and then she grew very sad.

"Why the long face, Ginge?" as he let her head rest on his shoulder while he rubbed her back softly.

She looked at him with tears in her eyes and said, "He was my very first love, Ricky. He was my FIRST, you know what I mean?" as her face flushed in embarrassment. Eric's eyes widened at that admission from her and she said, "Well, you knew I was tutoring him in our Common Law class. I did test out of it but I decided to take it to see the Yank's point of view on British Law. He was dreamy looking and very shy. I tutored him and he and I fell in love when I was 16 and I think he was about 24-ish. He was amazing. He worked so hard to pay for his classes that he was begging for sleep anyplace he could get it so, most weekends, when I was supposed to be tutoring him, he was crashing out on my bed in my dorm. He had asked me to marry him and I had said yes." Jackie pulled a long chain out of her shirt. On it was a ring made out of white gold with a smallish sized London Blue Topaz in it surrounded by tiny diamonds. "See, Ricky? I was going to be happy and have my dream. Then, my step-grandmother gleefully waltzed into my quarters at the mansion and told me he had been run down in the street and killed. She showed me a photograph of his mangled body and I cried for weeks. Remember?"

"I do remember that time in your life, Pam. Oh, God. I was so broken up for you, I cried with you on the phone for hours and hours over the next five or so weeks and then the calls just stopped. Why did you lose contact with me till that Christmas? I thought it was because the witch had gotten you killed or something. You have no idea how happy and relieved I was when you called me in Christmas Eve and told me how much you missed me. Then you shocked the hell out of me and told me your 'big bombshells' as you called the news you had for me." Eric said, now remembering how one piece or her news made him a millionaire overnight and the next bit of news shocked the hell out of him and would forever change the newest NCIS Special Agent's life as well.

"Yeah? Well, it isn't frelling every day you tell your brother that the invention we worked on in his dorm at Uni got patented in London and set the pharmaceutical world on its collective ear, making us millionaires vitually overnight AND that he is an uncle to a beautiful little girl named Martine Desdemona Elizabeth McDonald-Blandel, now is it? She's 17 now and she passed the Barrister's Exam in Belfast a year ago. She is taking her gap year now so she can fulfill her dream playing in the Donegal Philharmonic Orchestra for the Holiday Tour. They are coming to Los Angeles in a month and I cannot wait to see her perform in front of her fsavorite Uncle Ricky!"

Eric was thinking to himself, "Yeah and it isn't every frelling day he can walk up to Marty Deeks and tell him 'Congratulations! You're a father!', either!"

Jackie looked at the Senior Class picture of her Michael and sighed. She knows he loved her and that her Desi is a gift to him of that love. She saw that picture and she knew her cousin had had something to do with the accident that had killed her Michael. She found out when she was hit by the motorcycle the next afternoon when she was out with her Grandfather that she was four and a half months pregnant with Desi and her grandfather whisked her away to the Hebrides Islands where he had a small manor home so she could have the baby in peace and not worry about if it could be taken or hurt. The month after her little girl was born, she joined the British Royal Navy and began her storied career on board the first of seven ship culminating in her Fleet Admiralty and serving in the 10th Fleet. Now that her fleet was in port being sanitized of the deadly rats, she had to find a way to help provide law and order for her crew. She spoke to Hetty and asked if SECNAV could create a liason position for her to act as a go-between between the British Navy and the American people as her crew worked and took leave accordingly. They agreed and she was to start on that Monday.

Monday came around and with all of the unpacking that Jackie and Eric had managed to get done, it made The Citadel look like home finally. Eric was excited for the team to finally meet his mystery room mate and see the reaction on their faces. Jackie was talking to Desi a mile a minute in Gaelic when they walked into OSP together. She hung up the phone at the sight of Hetty at her desk and strode up to it in her Naval dress uniform. Hetty looked up and her face split into one of her rare unforced smiles. She said, "My dear, dear Pamela! Let me look at you! Why, it has been simply too long! And, look at this, I made a pot of English Jasmine Tea. Have some and we can get your paperwork in order."

Jackie smiled and said, "Hetty! It HAS indeed, been too long. I have missed you so much! May I?" Hetty stood up and Jackie shocked Eric, Nell and G when she hugged their fearless leader and she hugged Jackie back with the same enthusiasm. She whispered into Hetty's ear, "It has been too long, Aunt Hetty! Desi sends her very best and expects you to be at as many of her performances with the Orchestra as you can manage, of course!"

Jackie then went to the kitchen and poured her and Hetty cups of tea and made it to Hetty's exacting standards and then while the tea was warming the cups, placed the leftover food containers in the refrigerator and smiled at the gathered assemblage of people. "I know Hetty and Ricky very well. And, you all are?"

Kensi smirked and said, "Ricky, is it now, Eric? Who is this lovely Navy Admiral and how on earth does she know you? I'm Kensi Blye, by the way. This man with the smirk on his face is the one and only G Callen and the woman to his right is our other analyst, Ms. Nell Jones. And, you are?"

Jackie shook hands with all of the people as Kensi introduced them to her and smiled. "Ricky told me all about you but he said that there are two others in your band of merriment and I am assuming they are late? A Sam Hanna and a Martin Deeks I think he mentioned?"

At that moment, Sam made his appearance and smiled his best smile as Hetty said, "Good of you to join us finally, Mr. Hanna. This is Flet Admiral Pamela Jacqueline Clancy McDonald Morgan McGee and she is our new Liason during the British Naval deployment in our harbor. She will be working with us until May when her Flagship is due to be finished with its cleansing and retrofitting so she can head back to Ireland for her decommissioning and return to civilian life. Pam, this is Mr. Sam Hanna."

Sam felt a flutter in his heart for the first time since his wife Michelle, had been killed by a drunk driver the previous May. He shook her hand and said, "Pamela, was it? Well, it is nice to meet a naval officer with such stature. You may call me Sam."

"You may all call me Jackie, thank you. The only two people left alive that call me Pamela are Ricky and Hetty and that is their way of showing me they care. Not even my father calls me Pamela. He calls me Jackie unless I have done something to make him mad or he is scared. Then he breaks out me whole name and I know I'm done for!" Jackie said with a grin.

"Ricky, " Sam called out in a slightly teasing manner, "Is this the woman you were talking to on the phone on Saturday about dinner? Oh, and LOVE the nickname, Ricky." Callen tried but failed to stifle a snort and Kensi grinned. Nell just said, "Callen, she is his little sister. Give him a break. I'm heading up to OSP to see if we have any cases that popped up since Saturday. Coming, Eric?" as she smartly turned on her heel and headed up the stairs to the Command Center.

"I like that woman, Ricky! She has spark!" Jackie said as she hugged Eric and let him run up the stairs after her. G, Sam and Kensi just looked at Jackie in a bit of shock. A SISTER? Eric didn't have any siblings, so they were led to believe. Who is this woman?

G smiled and said in his best efficient manner, "Well, if you are gonna be a member of this squad, you need to pass the qualification tests before you can start. How bout you get out of your dress blues and into sweats and meet up in the gym for a bit of sparring and training? Kensi can show you to the women's locker room."

Jackie smiled and said to herself, "Great! A chance to prove myself again. I am so ready to have at it with one G Callen." Kensi led her to the locker room and she quickly got changed into her sweats that said, 'Donegal Naval Academy' on them and began her stretching routine in the locker room as she waited for Kensi to show her to the gym. Nell came down to the locker room and said, "Hetty wants me to suit up and watch-slash-maybe participate in the workouts today. She says Jackie is one not to miss on the mats."

Kensi appeared at the door to lead the pair out to the gymnasium and found Callen and Sam already stretching their backs and legs out readying for their sparring session on the thick mats. Jackie just went to the center circle and said, "OK, mates! Who's gonna be first?"

Callen said, "Ladies first, Kens. Then, me and finally, Sam."

Jackie shook her head and said, "No. Don't think that is a fair order. I want Sam first, then you and finally Kensi. No offense, Ms. Blye but, I want to go at you all in order of size, if that is acceptable?"

Sam stepped onto the mats and within a matter of a few minutes, found himself plastered to the mat on his back with her knees firmly on his shoulders asking him to tap out. He tapped out and took up the position again knowing the moves Jackie made to pin him the first time. The second time ended just as it did the first time with Jackie on his shoulders asking for a tap out from Sam. G, Kensi and Nell were very impressed with her fighting style.

Sweat was pouring from Sam as he reluctantly tapped out on the mat and made room for G to take his licks. Sam was out of the circle and G just tried to take advantage by pouncing on Jackie as she turned to face her new opponent. She slipped out of his grasp and forcibly grabbed his arm, flipping him over her shoulder and slamming his body into the mat before he tapped out and she let go of his arm. He was in pain but stepped back into the circle and said, "That the best you got?"

Jackie, at five feet eight inches and 126 pounds was not much to look at in terms of an adversary but, as Sam swiftly found out, you don't want to mess with her in a fight. G came at her again with slashing and sweeping moves and managed to put her on the ground but then she sprang back up and did a back handspring into his body, knocking him to the ground and placing all of her weight on his shoulders, got his to tap out the same way she did to Sam, by constricting her thighs around his chest and restricting his breathing.

G gasped for air as he tapped out and sputtered, "Where on earth did you learn to fight like that?"

"I was doing a Comparative Religions Course at Oxford University and I spent 12 weeks in Israel. I met the then Director of Mossad, Eli David and I trained with his daughter, Ziva David, now DiNozzo for those twelve weeks. She is better at this than I am, of course but, she says I have room to improve." Jackie said, wiping off the sheen of sweat from her face.

G and Sam gaped at her and said, "Now, you get the tigress of our group. Kensi, save our team from looking bad, will you?"

Kensi, who had been studying Jackie's movements intently was now in the ring and circling around Jackie waiting for a chance to make a move. As they circled, Kensi asked, "So, why do you call Eric Ricky?" making a lunge that missed her legs.

Jackie said, "You don't know what he calls me, do you? I had to find a equally irritating name to call him and Ricky stuck. Tell you what, " as she lunged for Kensi's legs and missed, "you pin me and I will tell you what Ricky calls me. If you lose, you do my laps with me in the gym that I have set up on the other side of the nets. Deal?"

Kensi suddenly lunged and caught Jackie off guard and, before she could gather her defense, had Jackie pinned under her and asking for a tap out of her own. Jackie refused to concede defeat and struggled for five solid minutes before admitting she was stuck in Kensi's grasp and tapped out, angrily cursing herself out for being beaten by the smallest of the core group.

Kensi just smiled and said, "I know I got lucky and that won't happen again but a deal is a deal. Tell me your nickname and I won't tell the guys, OK?"

She shook Kensi's hand and said, "OK, mate! He calls me Ginger and it is because I sort of look like Ginger Grant from Gilligan's Island. He told me when I was 14 that I looked like her and that name has stuck with me for the last 22 years. He is the only one alive that calls me that. My first fiancée, Michael, used to call me Ginger too but, he was killed-run over by a car- shortly after I went back to Donegal to tell my grandfather and set up my company, Golden Corporation. Don't look at me so shocked. Yes, I am the CEO of Golden and Michael was the inspiration for the name as that man had the most gorgeous blonde hair and bluest eyes I have ever seen. But, your Eric, my Ricky? He is the CFO and one of the tech gods behind making Golden and international force in medical technologies for veterans and seriously injured people. I love him to death and he is the only one that knows 99% of my secrets. There are a couple that only Michael and I know which I will take to my grave but those are secrets lovers share, you know what I mean, right?"

Kensi looked at her new friend and said, "That secret stays in the vault! Nell probably knows about his being your CFO but, she won't betray Eric's secrets to a soul. She is like his sister. Like you."

Nell walked into the gym changing area and smiled as she had heard the tail end of that chat and said, "I adore Eric but, I had my chance with him and he is totally crushing on someone else and I hope he is happy soon, I really love him but only as a brother, you know?"

Jackie said, "He told me who his crush is and I hope I can help him get to his happiness soon too! He is too cute not to have someone to love, right Kensi?"

Kensi blushed and said, "Yeah. I guess you're right, Jackie. He deserves to find a woman and settle down someday."

Eric called into the locker room, "Ginge? Ready for the grand tour? Hetty said she wants to have you settled at your desk afterward but we can have lunch first and then, set you up with your security passwords and stuff, OK?"

"OK, Ricky! Let's move along with the tour, then!" Jackie said brightly. She was changed into a nice knee length navy blue skirt and a crisp dark green blouse and black ballet flats with rubber soles. Her hair was French braided and fell to just above her rear end and swished when she walked. Sam watched her walking around behind Eric and could not keep the smile off his face or the light out of his eyes. G, noticing this said, "Sam, I do believe you have re-joined the land of the living and have a crush on our newest co-worker."

Sam's smile widened and he said, "G, if your heart did not belong to Nell already, you can't tell me you would not want to date her, too. Am I right?"

"Fortunately for Mr. Callen, he is taken. Unfortunately, for you, she is not available. She has a story to tell, gentlemen. When she is ready to talk to all of us and get us on the same page as she is, she may welcome your advances, Mr. Hanna. Until then, we need to get her into the swing of things here in OPS so that when Mr. Deeks gets back from his Agency training in Washington, we can function as a fully cohesive unit her in OSP, alright, gentlemen?"

"Yes, Hetty." G and Sam said at the same time getting settled at their desks and diving into their paperwork mountains.

Lunchtime rolled around and Sam asked if he should get take out for lunch for the team when Jackie stopped him by placing a hand on his chest. "I thought, since this was my first day and all, and in the grand tradition of wanting to make a good first impression, I would bring lunch to you all. In the refrigerator, you will find Beef Wellington, and salad of baby corn, water chestnuts and Boston lettuce with cherry tomatoes and a lovely French dressing. Hope you like it and enjoy!"

"You never saw three agents move faster towards food in your whole life, have you Ms. Jones?" Hetty smiled at her junior analyst. Nell smiled back at her and then saw Eric coming toward them with three containers of food. One was labeled Hetty and one was labeled Nell and his own. They tucked into their lunch and Hetty smiled to herself, "There will be a lot more gym time required to shift off the gourmet cooking of my dear Pamela and her deluxe food. Ah well, maybe paperwork will get done faster if they work through lunch! Thast is always best! Ah and I see Nate is going to be the recipient of Mr. Deeks tray. When he gets back, my family will be whole again. Yes, it will be an interesting fall this year-for all of us!"


	3. Chapter 3

Nate savored the delicious food and thanked Jackie for spoiling him so much upon his return from Belarus. "Thank you, Jackie! Wellington is my absolute favorite dish! You-can SO stay on this team!"

Jackie blushed and said, "You-are SO welcome! I am happy you like my cooking. I can flex my chef muscle only so much onboard a ship so the kitchen at Ricky's and my place is perfect to create and make my favorite foods and share them with all of you."

"Wait-you two live together?" Sam said, stunned by this bit of news. "I thought you lived in a three story walk-up near Deeks. When did you move, Eric? Thought you needed to provide us with a change-of-address form and let us-your team-know when you DO move."

Eric started to flush bright red when Jackie spun on Sam and said, "Um, Sam? My brother has been BUSY with a ton of projects concerning me on top of all the major and pressing things he has had to deal with in OSP. I am so sorry if my demands on his time let this little thing slip his mind but, he is 100% safe and sound in our home. If you want to inspect our hard work, please feel free to visit after work tonight and see for yourself."

Callen looked at Sam and said in a neutral tone of voice, "Of course, we can swing by on the way home from work to look at your new place. I am amazed that Eric has you for a room mate. He is usually a person who likes to live alone."

"I trust Pamela to watch my back when I am out of OSP. She is a master of several weapons and can defend our position if need be. She is a one-woman arsenal all on her own." Eric said, smugly. "I mean she already gave you a taste of how powerful she is. She could probably out-shoot all of you if you'd like to place a little wager on her talents."

Jackie nodded her head and said, "Eric, if you think I can beat your team in a little target shoot-out, let's do it and show them I can protect us from the Jabberwockies of the world just fine on my own."

G and Sam said, "We have this!" at the same time. G then asked, "Kensi, Nell? You up for a little target shooting against our new team member?"

Kensi and Nell both shook their heads knowing that Jackie could hold her own against the two guys present from their team and Nell said, "Um, Callen? I think we will sit this one out and watch from behind the glass. Good luck, though."

There was the obligatory wager and trash talking involving a case of 25 year old Whiskey and cigars. Eric even said if Jackie lost, he would not whistle the team up to Ops for a solid month for his side of the bet.

Jackie set up the targets and started to slide them back to 100 meters away from the firing line when Callen said, "Why don't we start from 50 meters out so you can get the feel for the range first?"

Jackie asked, "So do you use for weapons? Cuz, I use a laser-sighted crossbow and I start out at 100 meters because 50 meters is too close for me."

Sam said, "We use SIGs. We are very good shots."

Jackie said, "My bad guys don't get up when I shoot them. But, my guys usually live after I shoot them. A gunshot victim usually dies from the wound, right? Then you have no living suspects-only dead ones."

Sam looked at Callen and said, "The way he shoots them-yeah, they die." Callen just rolled his eyes at Sam in total annoyance. "I try to leave at least one of the suspects breathing to bring into our Boathouse for interrogation." Sam offered a smile to Jackie.

Jackie smiled back at Sam which made him flush with happiness. "I like my suspects to be all breathing so I can put them in prison for their crimes-not the morgue and then the ground." She stepped up to the firing line and shot her arrow straight through the shoulder of her target. "Now, if you want a kill shot, watch this." With practiced efficiency, Jackie refitted an arrow into the firing mechanism and pulled the trigger landing a kill shot straight through the center of the target within a minute of her first shot. Callen was impressed. Sam was amazed at her speed but blown away at her accuracy-she had hit both spots she targeted with ease and precision. "See? The first shot says 'I have a suspect to question. ' The second shot says 'You're dead.' I would rather have a suspect to question so I can get the bad guy instead of having to investigate more in the hope that there is another participant in the crime."

Kensi smiled and thought to herself, "She'll be an asset to our team however long she is here."

When Jackie made it back to the bullpen, she found Hetty waiting with a hot cup of tea for her and her paperwork to fill out. She was just finishing the final form when a gravelly voice asked, "And, just who are you and why are you here?"

Jackie looked up and said, "Assistant Director Granger. I am surprised that SECNAV did not keep you in the loop on this one. I am Fleet Admiral Pamela McDonald-McGee and I am the Liason Officer between the British Navy and NCIS until May. I wondered how long it would be till I met you." She smiled dryly and said, "A pleasure." As she shook his hand. It felt all shades of slimy, she thought.

Callen came in as Granger went to Hetty's office and said, "Why do we need a Liason Officer with the British Navy when they are not causing any issues with our American Police? She can just leave now and not come back."

Callen said, "I think SECNAV had a good idea and we should use her to the best of her talents. She may improve relations with the British and solidify our interests as allies with Europe. She stays, Granger. Unless you want to run up against Director Vance and SECNAV possibly the Prime Minister of England as well. International incident, anyone?"

Jackie smiled at Callen's defense of her right to be there. Eric slid up to her and whispered in her ear, "Granger is a thorn in everyone's side here in Ops. He has limited sway here since he tried more than once to get rid of Hetty and has come up on the losing side every time."

Kensi walked into the Bullpen and said, "It's five o'clock. We have no new cases so, I suggest we get out and do a team night to celebrate our new member. What do you guys think?"

Jackie said, "Sure. Love to but I have to get home to change and Sam and Callen are coming over to check out our house. Um, Kensi? Why don't you and Nell swing by and check it out too? We can get your scans into the Iris Reader while you're there and then if you ever visit, you can let yourselves in without having to have one of us there to let you in."

"You have and Iris Reader in YOUR HOUSE?" Kensi asked, stunned. She knew how much the system cost when she visited the NCIS Headquarters in Washington, D.C.-at least a million dollars. She knew that Jackie was rich but THAT kind of wealth-it brought up the question she could not help but ask, "If you have an Iris Reader in your home, why on earth would you be working for NCIS in the first place?"

Jackie cocked her head to one side and just looked at Kensi. "Well, to answer you for the first part of your question, Ricky is my family-my only brother and I love him like crazy. I want him to be safe at any cost so, I had him install the system to ensure that he would be safe. There is also a panic room in both his bedroom and the mini-ops center in the basement. I know that he is safest at home or here and he does not go out to too many places without his team-you guys with him-so, in that I am sure he is taken care of. Why do I work for NCIS? Well, that is easy-I want to serve both of my homelands. I have a British mother and an American father so, I have dual citizenship and I love both of these countries very much. That is why I do what I do. Any other questions can wait until we are all at The Citadel. Now, if you ladies would like to follow me there, we can leave now."

Kensi and Nell got into Nell's Mini Cooper and headed off behind Jackie and Eric in her Rolls Royce Phantom. Kensi whistled. "Nell, that is one sweet ride she is driving. Must have cost a quarter of a million bucks, easy."

Nell nodded. "It is a beautiful car but I bet she has it tricked out so it is the safest car possible. I noticed it has ceramic-disc brakes which are crazy expensive and it has bullet resistant glass windows. She has levels of security that are crazy. Wonder what she is hiding from?"

When they arrived at the mansion, the three cars-Sam and Callen had joined them in Sam's Challeger, pulled through the heavy iron gates and over the bridge that covered the moat to the driveway. As the six of them got out of their cars, G asked, "Sam, did we just drive over a MOAT?"

Sam smiled, "Yeah, G. She has Eric well shielded in here." Then he looked up and all around and gasped at the enormity of it all. "If someone tried to get in here, they would die before they got to the front door. Have you seen the security? This place has electrified gates, razor wire hidden in the trees around the walls, I think I even saw gators in the moat. She made a fortress in Los Angeles for her Ricky. And, man this place is huge? What is he gonna do in a place this big when she's gone?"

Kensi smiled and thought to herself, "This place IS huge. And, so well-guarded. Sam's right there ARE gators in the moat. Are those solar panels on the roof? This place is amazing!"

Nell, who had seen bits and pieces of the architecture of the home in sidelong glances at Eric's personal computer when he was deep in the construction, was so proud of how much Eric had built in the year he was working on it.

Jackie walked up to the front door and scanned her eye to open the massive oaken door automatically. She said, "Ladies and gentlemen, I give you our home-The Citadel."

The six of them walked into the massive great room and Sam positively salivated when he saw the wall-sized plasma screen television surrounded by plush-looking suede couches and comfy chairs with over-stuffed pillows just inviting one to sit and relax into the comfort. "Eric, the next time we have a game we wanna watch, we're coming here! This is THE place!"

Jackie laughed and then said, "Ricky, we need to get them all scanned into the Iris Reader so they can come and visit when they wish to and not trigger the security system. Hetty, of course, is already in the system so…"

"So, I do not need to go through this now, "Hetty said as she slid into the room and made all the agents jump except for Jackie, who saw her come in.

Eric said, "There is too much room for me to use all the bedrooms in this place so, if we ever have a long night and need to crash out, we can all find beds here for the night. The kitchen is always fully stocked with HEALTHY foods, Kensi-that means there are no doughnuts here. But, you are welcome to check out the whole place. Look around and tell me what you think, guys."

The team walked all over the house and saw the eight bedrooms and the twelve bathrooms. They saw the library, the media room, the mini-ops center in the basement, the game room with the dart board and the pool table, and the weapons room Jackie had just finished setting up right off the game room. Sam and G were impressed with what they had seen.

While everyone was walking around the house, Jackie slid into the kitchen and prepared the indoor grill for the steaks and salmon and began to prepare dinner. She was pulling the roasted vegetables out of the oven when she looked up and saw Sam standing there watching her with a soft smile on his face. She smiled back and took his offered help to set the table and get the food ready for dinner. She said in a soft voice, "Sam? Could you put on the sound system and play CD 1 please?" When he did, the lovely tones of Frank Sinatra wafted under the conversation that filled the air in the home.

Sam said, "You know, Kensi listens to Techno music and G and I listen to whatever's playing but Eric, I know listens to Pop music and Nell, well, she listens to a lot of music from when she was in high school. This sort of music would be fine with Deeks and Hetty but, I thought you would be more current in the choices you listen to."

Jackie sighed and said, "Move the selection to CD 2 then, and see what plays, Sam. I listen to a lot of older music because it is what my beloved Michael used to listen to and I want to feel close to his memory whenever I am at home. That is not to say I can't like other artists."

Sam sighed and said, "Michael was close to you?"

"He was my fiancée. I loved him like no other man in my life. You know, I don't know why I feel like telling you this but, I want to-do you mind? I want to tell you about Michael if I can. Maybe tomorrow you can come back here after work and we can have dinner and you can get to know me a bit better? I am not quite as cocky as I play at in OSP. I have a side only Ricky and Hetty know about."

Dinner was a nice party. When everyone had left, Eric was bringing the last of the glasses and dishes into the kitchen. He loaded the dishwasher and watched as Jackie turned on the security system, armed it and threw a dozen steaks out into the moat for the gators and said good night to Wally and Max. She walked in the door and up the stairs to her bedroom. Eric followed her up to her room and saw her sitting on her couch with her head in her hands, crying. He crossed the floor in an instant and took her into his arms in a protective hug.

"Oh, Ginge. I know tomorrow is the anniversary of Michael's accident. Why on earth did you have a party tonight of all nights?"

She sniffled into his chest and said, "Ricky, I miss his so much! I still love him. I only started to fall in love with Keith right before the wedding. I mean, you saw him-he looked almost like Michael. I saw myself having babies with him and being happy-ish. I mean, you know, if I could not have my Michael, I was going to try to find my happiness someplace. "

"But, then you found your father and I know Leroy Jethro Gibbs loves you like crazy. After you lost Keith, he protected you by letting you marry one of his agents-Timothy McGee. I thought you had feelings for him? Was I wrong?"

"I cared very very deeply for Tim. Was I in love? I was sleeping with him but there was never any sex involved. He and I were slowly creeping toward love but, no I never told him 'I love you.' I wish we could have had a chance to see where things would've gone but, my cousin, Robert, had to use a car bomb and blow him and my life to Kingdom Come all over again. Only, this time, I had Papa, Tony, Ziva, and Abby there to prove that his finger prints were on the triggering mechanism and get warrants issued for his arrest in Northern Ireland and England. In Robert's twisted mind, he thinks that, if he waits out Grandfather's death and kills me, he can gain the Earldom and the money behind the title and buy his way out of the murder charges."

"Does he know where the real money is?"

"No. Which is kind of the funny thing about his vendetta. If he knew that the Earldom was bankrupted by his money grabbing grandmother years ago and that the monies running it now are from our company, he may change his tune. "

"Then, why keep this a secret from him?"

"Because, Ricky, I haven't told anyone except you about that. Grandfather doesn't even know how broke and skint he is as a result of her spending his money like it was water. All he knows is that he has money in his personal bank account to cover his dailies and that is good enough. Since I put that woman in the Tower of London, she is not spending any more of his money and I have recovered all of the things she hocked from the estate to put back where they were taken from-heirlooms she had no right to sell!"

"If you don't think he should know about how she bled him dry, then don't tell him. If it were me, I would like to know so I could divorce her and be rid of her for good."

Jackie smiled and said, "When he discovered her role in Robert's bombing of Tim's car, she was out on her ear the next day. A week from then, she was arrested and hauled off to prison as a slam dunk case. She had no choice as to her prison cell-I chose to humiliate her on a daily basis as the deposed Lady Donegal. She is mocked by tourists from a sound-proof room. They can see her and she can hear them! It is funny how she tries to communicate with them. Robert can't call or write her. His accounts have been frozen. It is a matter of time before he is found and goes into an adjoining cell with his granny."

"Yes. But, till then, you live life in military security and protect your daughter from him by being so far away from her and having her not be a part of the lineage for the title until he is captured. You do know if your grandfather dies before that happens, she will never be in line for the title and you would have to marry to have a legitimate heir declared."

What neither Jackie nor Eric realized was that Sam and Callen left an activated earwig on a table in the upstairs hallway and had heard every word of the chat after they had left for the night. Sam said, "We have got to help her, G. She should not have to live like this! Where would we even begin to look?"

G thought for a minute and said, "We investigate the crime that happened here 18 years ago-the death of her Michael and go from there."

"Problem is, we don't know his last name, G. How do we track him down?"

"We don't. It may be sneaky and a bit cruel but, we trick Eric into looking into it and then we take his findings from there." G said, thinking. 'I can talk to Nell and find out his name if she slips up and says it. Then I can research car accidents in October from 18 years ago. Once I find out his name, I can exhume the body, do a DNA test and establish her daughter's legitimacy and save her family title. It's the least we can do for her.'

Jackie and Eric talked until she fell asleep. He got off the bed and went toward his room when he spotted the ear wig on a table under the edge of the fruit bowl. 'Oh, DAMN!' he thought. 'Now they know about Michael. Thank God they don't know it's Deeks they are looking for!'

They next morning, Eric called Washington's NCIS Training Corps. He asked how much longer they were going to keep Deeks in the classes and when the instructor said he would be free in three weeks, he sighed in relief as he hung up the phone. Eric had to find a way to tell Jackie that he was indeed alive and figure out HOW to tell him he was a dad.

Callen and Sam walked in at the same time and Eric went to their desks and dropped the ear wig on Callen's desk. "Hey boys. Did you hear what you needed to last night? You do know you violated so many unwritten rules of eavesdropping with this thing. If Pamela hears about you boys doing this, there will be hell to pay."

Jackie overheard the last bit of the conversation and was appalled by what she thought Callen alone had done and was beyond furious with him. She texted Sam and told him she wanted to talk to him out in the Courtyard alone. He got up and went out to the yard to see Jackie with her fists balled up and pacing back and forth. Sam wondered what was going on. "Jackie, what's up?"

Jackie spun on her heel and looked at Sam angrily, "Why in the seven bells of hell did Callen think it was OK to bug my house and listen to a private chat I had with Ricky?! Of all the nerve! He barely knows me at all, I invited him into our home and he pulls this? I have half a mind to go to Hetty with this and get him in so much trouble!"

Sam looked embarrassed and ashamed and said in a soft voice, "Jackie, he was not alone when he was listening to you talking to Eric. I heard everything too and I think he just wants to help you nail your cousin and help your daughter with her lineage issue."

Jackie just glared at Sam. "Why couldn't you Hardy Boys keep your frelling noses out of my private life? What you must think of me! Now you know-I've only had sex with two guys my whole life and I have a daughter. What else do you want to know? I am intensely private and you know more about me that anyone not related to me by blood does with the exception of Ricky and Hetty. Why?"

Sam sighed and said, "Callen just wants to help you out. If you give us the last name of your Michael, we can get his body exhumed and find out if his DNA matches your daughter's and get her legitimized when your cousin is apprehended. I would like to help you because I see you as a person who has loose ends and hates them and I want to help you tie them off. Can we help you, please?"

Jackie said, "Let me talk to Ricky and see what he thinks of all of this. I will let you know. But, if this happens-and I am saying IF I let you help me-you have to let me in on everything you find no matter how uncomfortable the things found might be. That is the offer-take it or leave it."

"We'll take it!" Sam said, hoping Callen was not being taken apart by Eric. When the two of them walked back in to Ops, Eric was threatening to erase all of Callen's few records of his identity if he ever bugged his house again and Callen looked ashamed of what he had done.

Sam said, "Can we?"

Jackie said, "Yes I want your help. Let's leave Eric alone-I know he could erase Callen from any paper trail in a few keystrokes and I will shield him from that if he agrees to our terms, Sam."

Sam looked at Callen and nodded his head. Callen said, "Whatever you talked about, I'm in. Now, what is your Michael's last name?"

Jackie sighed and said, "His name was Michael A. Blandel. He was 26 when he was hit and killed by a hit and run driver. I was 18 and four months after he was killed, I had his daughter Desi. She's 18 now and coming here next month to perform in the Donegal Philharmonic's show at the Hollywood Bowl."

Sam and Callen froze when they heard his full name. Michael A. BLANDEL. The only Blandel they knew was their friend and co-worker, one Martin A. Deeks. If they were one and the same person, whoo boy!

Eric's whistle shrilled over the balcony. "Hey, we have a case and it involves a British sailor. Jackie-you're up!"

Eric waited for Kensi, Nell and Hetty to join Sam, Callen, and Jackie in Ops. He began, "OK, Ensign Clive Williams was on leave from H.M.S. Liverpool when he was out in a bar with a few of his friends and ran into a bar fight when he was stabbed and killed. What is hinky about this case is that he was killed and then he was shot in the head. It was a shot from a SIG so, we want NCIS and you to look into his death and figure out what happened."

Callen said, "Kensi, you and Eric can go to the British Embassy and find out about our sailor there. Sam, Jackie and I will go to the bar and see if they have surveillance cameras and see if there is any footage of the fight and see if facial recognition can pick up identities. Nell you can man Ops and co-ordinate the ID's from here."

It was an open and shut case with Sam, Callen, and Jackie apprehending the American suspect with no incident and getting a confession on the way into the boatshed was a definite plus. When they arrived back at OSP, Jackie went looking for Eric and Kensi to catch them up and found Nell in Ops staring at her cell phone in amusement.

"What's so funny, Nell?" Jackie asked. "Um, where's Eric and Kensi?"

"Well, here's what's so funny. The British Embassy is a five level building in the middle of L.A. They are having rolling blackouts to save energy and cutting non-essential services to buildings like elevators and escalators and…."

"Don't tell me. Let me guess. They are stuck in an elevator between floors. When can they get the elevator back on line and moving?" G asked, smiling.

Nell said, "The Embassy said that is would be at least 24 hours if not 48. This is due to the Banker's Holiday they are having in Great Britain and not having the personnel at the building to restart the elevator they are in. We sent them food down the access tubing and water and a facility to use for bath room things. But for everything else they have to wait till possibly Thursday morning to be freed from the box."

"Is there mobile service in the shaft? Can we get word to them?" Sam asked.

Nell cocked her head to one side and said, "No mobile service. No online capability whatsoever. They are on their own in there for at least the next day maybe two and all I can say is they are going to get to know each other very well with only have each other to talk to, huh?"

When Kensi and Eric found out they were stuck in the shaft for two days possibly, Kensi sat on the bench they had in the car and tried to focus on the positives. She was not alone in here-that was a good thing. She was in here with Eric who was very smart and knew a lot of things about a lot of subjects so, she would not be bored-he could talk and tell stories. He wasn't Sam or Callen-those two would just ask her way too many personal questions and that would drive her nuts in a couple of hours. No, she counted herself lucky to be stuck with Eric. He was a nice enough guy and she could talk to him about things and he would not care as long as she kept things in the general realm of subjects. He would never get intimate with his questions and it would be an easy break. They would be fine.

Eric was pleased at first when they were trapped in the shaft. Then, reality set it and he wondered about mobile service and found that neither his or Kensi's phones worked in the tube they were in. He was a bit unnerved when the one security guard on the floor when they were first stuck said that it would be 24-48 hours till they would be able to get out of the spot they were in. Eric was a tiny bit relieved that they had lowered food, water and a place to use the facilities. Then, he had a minor panic-Eric was STUCK in an elevator with Kensi-his longest-standing crush du jour. What on earth would they talk about?

With the two of them tucked away for two days, the rest of the team did the paperwork that had piled up on their desks and Jackie even did some of Callen's and Sam's filing and research to get used to the American NCIS system of paperwork. They got the entire backlog of files sort and completed from both agents by the evening of the first day. They then turned their skills toward the hunt for information on the hit and run of Michael A. Blandel aka Martin A. Deeks. Callen and Sam had a few unanswered questions: Who hit him? Why was he still alive and why didn't LAPD make an arrest in the case 18 years ago?


	4. Chapter 4

The more they dug into the incident, the more they saw a series of bad coincidences. Immediately after Deeks was hit by the car, his name change was filed by him from his hospital bed. It went through a week later. The reasoning listed in the name change documentation was all to do with the accident and his belief that his father Gordon, had been the one to have tried to run him down. He had all of his documentation list him as dead under the name Michael A. Blandel and born again under the name Martin A. Deeks.

Sam and Callen knew why he had changed his name now. They turned to how did Jackie get a picture of him seemingly dead on the pavement covered in his blood and not moving. Thanks to Jackie having an original copy of the picture, Callen and Sam turned to Nell and asked her to run it for fingerprints knowing that Jackie's would be on it. Nell turned up her step-grandmother, Madeline, Jackie, and a sleazeball photographer that was still working taking tabloid photos in L.A. His name was Walter Meadows. His address was sent to the guys' phones and they set out for his place. It was on a street a couple of blocks from Skid Row and when they got there, Sam and Callen found out from the landlord that Walter was out at a staked out spot for an awards show of some kind and would not be home for hours. They waited outside his apartment until they saw him pull up in his car and park. When he got out of his vehicle, they walked over to him and asked him about the picture and about the $250,000 that he had received in payment for taking the shot of the run over Deeks. He said that he also had a photo of the man who had run over Deeks and showed it to Sam and Callen. It looked like he was not even trying to hide his face but, then again, it was 18 years ago and there weren't the cameras and surveillance monitors all over the city like there was now. He was young but he had a menace to his look. They had to take that photo back to Jackie to see if she recognized the person in the photo. Walter was scared that the person who had hit the man he had photographed would come back and kill him. Sam and G asked Nell to create a whole new identity for Walter and gave him those documents saying he should leave L.A. and find a new job. Nell said he could get a job at a community college in the stix someplace teaching photography and hide out there safe and sound. He was grateful and gone in three hours after the two federal agents left his apartment without a word to a soul.

When they got back to OSP, Sam took the picture to Jackie and asked her, "Do you recognize the man behind the wheel of this car? He is the man that ran over your Michael."

Jackie studied the photo and gasped when she discovered that it was her cousin, Robert behind the wheel. She said in a shaky voice, "Th-that's Robert behind the wheel. He hated me so much that he killed the love of my life just like that?" She couldn't stop the tears from sliding down her cheek. Sam walked over to her and gently took her into his arms and let her cry silent tears all over his chest.

Callen saw how upset the photo made her and said to Nell, "Nell, put out a BOLO on Robert McDonald and alert all Border Patrols and crossings to make sure that he can't enter the country or, if he is IN the U.S., make sure he cannot leave. Let's get this guy and put him in jail to get Jackie some peace finally."

That night was the anniversary of the loss of her Michael and she was missing him deeply. She invited Sam, Callen, and Nell to the mansion for dinner and a movie and, rather than cook for them they offered to bring dinner to her for a change since she had cooked for them a lot lately and they wanted to return the favor. They brought Chinese food and plenty of sodas and beers and had a good team night bonding over their love of sport-the movie was passed over in favor of a soccer game live from England as it was Manchester United versus Liverpool and since one of her ships was the HMS Liverpool, she felt she should root for that team to win. It ended in a tie 2-2 but it was good for her to forget the night for a short time and relax her guard a tiny bit. When it came time for all of them to leave for the night, Sam hung back and waited, wanting to talk to Jackie alone.

"Sam? Is there something you need to talk to me about?"

Sam shuffled his feet and said, "Jackie, I am happy that you feel you can come to me and trust that I have your best interests at heart. Thank you for that. It has been a while since I felt like I do right now. I like you very much. I hope that is alright for me to say that."

Jackie was stunned that he felt that way. She took his hand softly and said, "Sam. I like you. A lot. But, my heart will always belong to Michael. He is the only one I have ever trusted fully with my heart and until, I can get through that pain, I will always be alone. I would like to spend time with you and get to know you better but, if you can't do that with me, I am sorry if I led you to believe something was there."

Sam, inwardly, his heart fell. Outwardly, he put on his best smile and said, "I would like the chance to get to know you and I would like you to get to know me as well. We could become great friends, I believe."

Jackie smiled and watched him get into his car and leave the driveway. She sighed and said to the night air, "Wherever you are, Michael, I hope God is holding your hand and you are happy. I love you always."

Thursday came around and, by noon time, Kensi and Eric were back at OSP and filling out their paperwork when Jackie came in with Sam from picking up lunch for the team from an upscale steakhouse. When she saw Eric, Jackie ran up to him and hugged him tightly, saying into his chest, "I missed you so much the last two days. I'm glad you're back. I love you, Ricky." Then, she turned to Kensi and hugged her as well and said, "I am so happy that you were there Kensi. Thank you for taking such good care of my big brother. He means the world to me, you know?"

Kensi said under her breath so no one could hear her, "He means the world to me, too, now."

Eric said, "I, for one am so ready to hit the showers and wash off the grime I am wearing from the past two days and nights. What about it, Kensi? Wanna hit the showers and then do the paperwork from the mission together?"

Kensi headed off to the ladies locker room and stripped off for a long hot shower. She thought of her time in the elevator with Eric and she smiled to herself. He was hiding a great body under those baggy clothes he wore to work all the time. She had gotten to see it first hand and was very impressed with his entire package. He was so gentle and kind and yes, damn it-they had made love once-she was happy and not willing to rock the boat but she liked him very much and he had told her he like her too. Was that SO wrong?

Eric leaned against the shower wall with a huge grin on his face and trying not to shout his happiness all over the locker room. He had had sex with Kensi and they had talked it through. She was fine with it. He was fine with it. Life was strange. He had never thought in a million years that he and she would ever even kiss much less have sex but it HAD happened.

*Flashback*

"Eric I am a little scared."

"Why Kensi? You know, it's me here. I would never hurt you in a million years. You're my friend. I have talked you through so many missions and saved you, Deeks, Callen, Sam and even Jackie a few times over already. I think we may even be past just friends, what do you think?"

"I think you may be right, Eric. Can we just talk and get to know each other better-this might be a good thing, you think?"

Kensi and Eric spent the better part of the first evening talking and getting to know each other better, in all aspects of life.

Kensi: "First kiss?"

Eric: "I was nine and Mary Atkins was 10. She cornered me on the playground and kissed the stuffing out of me. I later found out she did it on a dare. Yours was…?"

"When I was 12. Chad Johnson. He was 13 and I had a crush on him. He kissed me and then I found out he was kissing a lot of the girls in our class and collecting hearts on a string. It hurt but I toughed it out."

Eric: "First love?"

Kensi: "Howard Matthews, I think his last name was. I was 15 and he was 16 and I thought the sun rose and set on his smile. He was wonderful to me. But, that was the year my dad was killed and my life went to hell and I lost him because I was shunted to foster care and out of military base life. I lost track of him but, the last time I knew, he was married with three kids and happy."

"Mine was named Cathy Smith. She was 18 and I was 16 and she was my first lover as well. I was tutoring her through her computer course and when the course was over and she had her A, she dumped me for the quarterback of our high school football team. Last time I checked up on her, I found out she was divorced and had two kids and was not quite as pretty as she was in my memory. She got her just desserts, I think!"

Kensi sat on the bench so she was fully facing Eric and said, "Any girl who dumps you is missing out on the wonderful guy you are."

That was all it took as Eric kissed her softly on the lips. She returned the kiss with a force she would have never used with Eric before and, literally, before she knew it, she and he were making love. It was not just sex for either of them as they had shared so much in that elevator that no one else knew about them. Besides, Kensi thought, 'Sex is just hard and dirty and fast and there was NOTHING hard or dirty or fast about Eric….Well, except for ONE thing!' she smiled to herself.

*End Flashback*

Jackie said goodbye to one of her ships as it was finally sanitized and made sea worthy. They fuelled it up and its course was set to cross the Panama Canal and head back to England to deal with the dead and sickened crew from her fleet. It was the beginning of November and she was looking forward to her daughter, Desi, coming into town to perform at the Hollywood Bowl. Eric was taking his newfound closeness with Kensi slowly as she was struggling with her fear of commitment issues. They had been out to dinner a few times and Kensi had stayed at the mansion a few nights in a guest bedroom BUT, she had been there and Eric was OK with that. Sam had been by to watch a few football games with Eric and Callen and, Hetty had been over to spend time with Jackie and co-ordinated with the British embassy on the search for Robert and trying to find out if he was indeed in the United States or not.

Hetty was sitting in the living area and they were all gathered around the plasma screen where Eric had hooked the computer to so they could all see the same info and not bee crowded.

"Ms. McDonald, I think your cousin is in the country. I am afraid he was able to slip in through our Mexican border and was seen on security cameras in a casino in Reno, Nevada, a couple of days ago. Security around the Embassy and all of the British ships in port has been increased to protect the crews working on the sanitizing of the decks and keep them all safe. Your daughter, I understand is being brought here by your father, Special Agent Gibbs?"

"Yes, Hetty, she is. I cannot wait to see her and my dad again as it has been about 10 months since I saw either of them. Can't wait."

Callen said, "We can provide extra protection for your daughter and Gibbs while they are here. How long is she supposed to be here with the Orchestra, Jackie?"

Jackie smiled and said, "Papa and Desi are here through Christmas. Then Papa goes back to Donegal and Abby. They are expecting twins in January right around my birthday and he wants to be home for the event. I wish I could be there too. I would like one birthday with no international incidents marring it. Is that too much to ask for?"

"So, when is your birthday, then?" Sam asked as he came into the living room with tea and coffees for everyone.

Jackie and Eric said at the same time, "January 8th. It was the same birthday as Michael's."

Kensi said, "That's the same birthday as Deeks. What a coincidence!"

Nell paled when she saw Eric, Sam and Callen shuffle their feet and look away from Jackie's eyes. She was no dummy and it took her a bit of time to add things up. She thought she had enough info to say what she was thinking when she got a text from Deeks. It read: 'Nell, on my way home from D.C. Passed all my courses with flying colors. Home in five hours. Hugs!' A minute later she received another text: 'Um, can you send Eric to pick me up? Maybe he can bring my new partner with him and I can meet her.' Nell was now certain of her facts and wondered how on earth she could have missed all the bits and pieces of data she had at her disposal. Deeks was Jackie's Michael! How is it that she does not know? "Um, Callen, Sam? Could you help me in the kitchen with the snacks, please?"

They got up from the sofa and went in the kitchen and were immediately cuffed on the backs of their heads by one angry Nell Jones. "Are you guys enjoying playing with dynamite out there?!"

Both of them looked down at her and said, "What was that for?"

She glared at them and said, "It only takes a few keystrokes and I can find every less-than-flattering photo ever taken of the two of you and put it all over your NCIS profiles. Why are you two hiding Deeks from Jackie?"

Eric slid around the corner into the kitchen and said in a soft whisper, "That would be because I asked them not to say a word to her until we were absolutely sure that Michael and Marty are one and the same person. I am waiting on fingerprints to make the positive ID. When I have confirmation, I will tell her the whole story and hope and pray she does not kill me when she finds out."

Jackie was sitting in the living room and Eric's mobile chimed. She saw the message which read: "Eric can you come get me at LAX? My plane lands in an hour. I'll be at Gate 7.' Saw the ID was Marty Deeks. She thought to herself, 'Marty Deeks, huh? I can get him and Jackie at the airport at the same time and be home by dinner. Can't wait to taste Eric's ribs!' She said to Hetty, "I am going to run a quick errand before I pick Desi and Papa up at the airport. I'll call in every hour to check in, OK?" She hugged Hetty softly and headed out to the airport.

She drove up to Gate 7 and waited for the mysterious Marty Deeks to appear at the entrance. She was in Eric's car so, when Marty walked up to the passenger door and said, "Pop the trunk, Eric and let's get back to the mansion. Man, do I need a long hot shower!"

Jackie popped the trunk and he slid hit suitcase into the trunk. When he opened the passenger door and climbed inside, his heart stopped-"P-Pamela? H-How are you alive?"

She looked at his beautiful face and said, "Mi-Michael? I saw the photo of you run over and bleeding in the street. You looked d-dead! How are YOU alive?"

Deeks regained his composure somewhat and said, "I received a photo of you lying in the road in Donegal looking dead with a note from your grandmother saying something along the lines of: She's dead. Move on and deal with it. How was I supposed to cope with losing you? I love you more than life itself and I am supposed to just MOVE ON?"

Jackie turned to fully face him the driver's seat and said, "I never got over you, either. I received a photo of you lying in a pool of blood after being run over by my power-hungry insane cousin, Robert. He had a hack take a picture of you and sent it to my grandmother telling me you were dead. She took a personal delight in telling me you were gone. If I had known you were alive, I would have come back to you the minute I found out. You ceased to exist that following week and I thought it meant you were really dead and gone and I cried for weeks after you 'died'."

Marty just looked at her and sighed. "Look. We've been forced apart for 18 years. By your grandmother. If she had had her way, it would have been forever. How on earth did you find me?"

"Did you forget who my adopted big brother is? Eric left his mobile on the table and I looked at it. I was on my way here to pick up my father and um, someone else, and I thought I would do him a favor and pick up my new partner, Marty Deeks. Um, nice name change?"

"Yeah, yeah. Eric. Forgot about him. Being your brother, I mean. I work with him and have for the last five years. You found your father? Who is he?"

"Would you believe Leroy Jethro Gibbs of NCIS is my dad? Papa is on his way here from Donegal where we all live now. His whole team was relocated there after Timothy McGee was killed in the line of duty. Ok, cards on the table time. I've been married twice since I lost you. I married once for a strong like that would have turned into love I think and once for protection and both of them were killed by my grandmother and my cousin. Grandmother is in the Tower of London and Robert is at large in Nevada or, so NCIS thinks. I had sex with Keith but not with McGee. He was killed right after the ceremony in a car bomb along with his best man as they were on the way to the reception. McGee was killed on his way to Belfast on an errand for me and Gibbs. Car bomb as well. Full disclosure you are the only man I have ever truly loved with all of my heart and that is the truth."

Deeks sighed and took her hands and then cupped her cheek in his right hand. "I have had several girlfriends since you. I was looking for anyone to fill the void since I lost you. I can tell you that I had my last complete physical while I was in D.C. and I am clean and free of diseases. I never had sex without a condom with anyone but you. I still love you and I know it may take time to get back our magic but I want to try if you do."

"Oh Goldie! I have missed you so much!" Jackie cried leaning into his touch. He leaned in and captured her lips and kissed her with all the passion he could give her. When they broke apart, both of them had tears in their eyes and a sob escaped Deeks' lips.

Deeks looked into her hazel eyes and said, "Does this mean we can go forward from here?"

"Yes!" Jackie said, entwining his hands in hers. Then, her mobile's alarm went off and she gulped audibly. "Um, Michael, there is something I have to tell you. There is someone you need to meet. Please don't be mad at me…"

Desi McDonald and Gibbs walked out of the airport into the L.A. sunshine and looked for the car that Jackie was driving. Jackie beeped the horn and flashed the lights as she popped the trunk on the car to get their suitcases in the trunk and then they opened the back doors of the car and slid in. Deeks looked at the pair as they climbed in the car and his jaw dropped at the sight of Desi, who got in the car clutching her violin case tightly.

"Mum!" she said softly, hugging her mother from the back seat. "I have missed you! How's Uncle Ricky doing? Aunt Ziva and Uncle Tony send their love and they sent letters, too! And you know Nana Abby sent you a letter and some of her homemade praeline candy that you love so much."

Gibbs just squeezed her should and said, "Hey, kiddo. Missed you lots. Abbs sends her love. Ziva is about to have her son any minute or she would have come along for this trip. Abby is nesting big time and thanks you so much for hiring the nursery designer for us. Never thought I would be able to handle a Goth-style nursery but, it's what she wants." Then, Gibbs noticed the blonde head in the front seat and asked, "Hey. Who's this?"

Marty turned around and offered his hand to Gibbs saying, "My name is Marty Deeks and I am your daughter's new partner while she is working for NCIS OSP. Pleased to finally meet you, sir. You're a legend at the D.C. Training Corps."

Jackie just slammed the air out of Marty and knew it. She said to him in Gaelic, "Love, I know we NEED to talk about Desi. There are things I need to tell you. Please let me explain."

Deeks responded in the same language, "Um, yeah., Tonight we can go out to dinner and talk over our partnership and do a little team bonding. Do you still throw darts?"

Desi asked, "Hey, Mum? Do you have your darts? Can we throw for dinner choice? I know you want to do a fish fry but I want Greek food."

Gibbs just softly glared at Desi and said, "I think we should settle in and get some sleep. You need to practice your violin in the morning and I need to see Hetty and get situated with the hunt for your cousin. They can go get dinner someplace and leave us to the kitchen at the mansion, OK?"

"Yes, Pops. Of course. I am so sorry, Mr. Deeks. I was hogging your partner away from you. Forgive me. Go on and get dinner out with Mum. She loves a good burger and fries, FYI."

Gibbs just grumbled. Jackie let them off at the door and then peeled out of the driveway like a bat out of hell. She drove straight to the Maverick Hotel and checked into the Penthouse Suite under the name Ginger McGee and Guest and they went to the elevators. When they got to the suite, they walked in and Deeks flopped on the bed in a heap.

"We have a daughter. I have a little girl who is almost a woman, now. God! I hate that woman for stealing her away from me! For stealing YOU away from me! If I had even a clue about you being alive, I would have hocked everything I owned to get to Donegal to you, you have to believe me on that!"

"I know, Michael, I know. The problem we have now is, how do we keep her safe and let her know you are alive. If the team hasn't told her about who you are already, that is. Oh God! I can fix that one-hang on." Jackie pulled out her mobile and hit Speed Dial 1. Two rings and an answer. "Ricky! If you, Sam or Callen says a peep to Desi or Gibbs about Marty being her dad, I will find a paper clip and show you what Ziva taught to do with it-do I make myself clear?"

Eric gulped and said, "Y-Yes, Ginge. I understand. I will let them know."

"Do it now, Ricky. Right now!" as she snapped off her phone angrily.

Deeks just looked at Jackie and smiled. "Still have a way to scare the daylights out of Eric, huh? What's the thing with the paperclip?"

"Oh, Ziva knows about 6 different ways to kill a person with a paperclip. Thought I'd remind Eric about that and get him thinking he does not want an angry Ginger on his hands."

Deeks grinned and said, "So, what can you tell me about our little girl?"

Reviews are welcomed by one an all please! J


	5. Chapter 5

"I can do one better, but, what do I call you now? I kind of think Michael doesn't fit you any more, huh?"

"Um, most people call me just Deeks, here in NCIS but, you can call me Marty or whatever you want to call me-I'll answer you if you just say, 'Hey you!'-I'm never letting you out of my sight again, Ginger! I am trying very hard to wrap my head and heart around you being alive still. Hearing your beautiful voice in that sexy accent of yours is all I want to listen to right now so, talk and when you're done, talk some more, please!"

Jackie laughed. 'Oh, Lord! That laugh is making it hard to concentrate on her because all I can see is her mouth and I want to kiss her senseless!' Deeks thought to himself as he stood in front of her. She said, "Very well. I think I can call you Marty and be fine with it. Just going to take some getting used to, love. So, about Desi. I suppose I should start at the moment I found out I was pregnant and move on from there, huh?"

Marty just nodded as she went on and said, "When I was hit by that motorcycle in Belfast, I was on my way back to you. I had seen my grandfather and he gave me his blessing to look for my dad and come back to you and the next thing I knew, I was in the Outer Hebrides Islands in Scotland at my grandfather's fishing cottage and I was being told I was four and a half months pregnant with our little girl. Then, not even a week later, my grandmother hands my grandfather a photo of you dead and I hear from her by phone telling me I did not need to go back to the U.S. because my boyfriend was killed and I had no reason to come back. I did not want her to know about the child I was carrying so, my grandfather made up the excuse that I was depressed and could not come back to Donegal for a long time. I had out little girl there. Her full name is Martine Desdemona Elizabeth McDonald-Blandel but she goes by Desi McDonald and she was amazing from birth."

"Do you have any pictures of her from back then?"

"I have her baby picture as one of my screensavers so, yeah. Hang on a minute and let me call it up on my mobile." Jackie brought up her photo albums on her phone's gallery ad showed him the picture of Desi as a baby in her crib with the bear Deeks had won for Jackie. As he looked at the photo with wonder and awe Jackie looked over his should and said softly, "She still has that bear. I told her the story of how her Papa won that bear for me and I gave it to her because you would have wanted me to. She named it Papa Bear."

He touched the face and smiled through tears. "She was so beautiful, huh? We did good with her."

Jackie said, "Um, I knew she was special the moment she took her crayon and tried to write her name on her sheets. I didn't know what she was doing but, she knew how to write from watching me write letters to Grandfather. She copied me! I gave her one of her books and she read the letters to me and spelled the words before she could read them. She was reading by the time she was three years old. She passed out of her A Levels by the time she was 9. She graduated from Oxford by the time she was 12 and she was 15 when she graduated from Law School, passed the equivalent of the Barrister's Exam in one try and has a license to practice law in Donegal. She minored in music and can play the violin, the viola, the guitar and the piano. She is on tour with the Donegal Philharmonic Orchestra and is playing at the Hollywood Bowl from tomorrow through December 7th and then, she was going to stay with me here till the 23rd when we were going back to Donegal for Christmas and Boxing Day and then I had to come back here."

Deeks was amazed at how incredible his daughter was. "Why'd you name her Martine?"

"After your best friend, Ray. His last name-Martindale. I wanted her to know her Uncle Ray if she couldn't have you. Cuz then, she could have his stories of you, you know? I was so sad when I found out he was dead, too!"

Deeks took her hands and said, "He's not dead, love. He is in Witness Protection someplace in the Deep South. He saw something he shouldn't have and I had to do it for him. I do have a contact number for him-hang on." He pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number.

"Hello, Charlie. It's Michael. How are you doing? Can you talk?"

Ray answered, "Yeah, I can talk and I am fine! Whatcha calling for? Your thing with Wikipedia work out finally?"

Deeks smiled and said, "Ran into a long lost friend of ours who is begging to say hi, hang on." He put the phone on speaker and waited.

Jackie said, "Hey, Charlie. It's me, Pamela. I am so glad you are alright."

Ray almost dropped his phone. "Peej? Is that really you? Michael thought you were dead for the last-what is it now-18 years? How are you alive?"

Deeks said, "Long story short-her grandmother faked her death and then faked mine and really short-I have a 17 year old daughter! My little girl is named Martine. Had to let you know. I will visit when I can, OK? Love you brother!"

Jackie said, "Love you Charlie! Be safe."

When Deeks hung up, Ray shook his head in amazement and thought to himself, 'Wikioedia had her chance. I guess Peej being alive changes the game, forever. Hope she finds happiness, though. Got to love her spark!' He thought a bit more and it hit him, 'Oh. My. God! I'm finally an uncle!' "Jenna, darilin! Marty finally did it! He made me an Uncle!"

Marty said, "There. Now, he knows. He's probably dancing around his kitchen, saying 'I'm an Uncle!' over and over again, driving Jenna nuts."

Jackie smiled, "He ended up with Jenna? That is as it should've been. She loved him when we all knew each other."

"Yeah. Now, our girl. She plays violin? Like me?"

"No, way better than you or me. She is 2nd chair in the orchestra and she is very happy she was chosen for this tour. She cannot wait to perform in the Hollywood Bowl because it'll be recorded and she will be on a CD. She is over the moon."

Marty smiled and said in a dusky voice, "Um, I sort of met her but I want to talk to her and tell her I am alive. She needs to hear it from me, Ginge. I need to get to know my daughter."

Just then, there was a knock at the door. "I know, love. I took care of that for you. Open the door."

Marty opened the door and saw Desi standing there. He moved to let her in and she just asked one question, "Are y-you m-my Papa?" When he nodded, she made no move to go around him. No. She pulled him into a huge hug and sobbed, "Mummy! You found him! I dreamed about this day ever since I can remember! Thank you!"

Marty was crying and holding his baby for the first time. Eric was behind her and just handed off her small back pack and her violin case and said, "I am so glad you have this moment. I love you, Ginge. Hope you know that."

Jackie pulled him into a hug and said, "You were just looking out for me. I love you, Ricky. Always!"

When he left, Jackie turned her attention back to Marty and Desi and tears just rolled down her face. "I have dreamed of the two of you meeting and I thought I would never see this. You make your mum so happy, Desi darling!"

Desi finally pulled away from Marty and said, "Papa? I heard I got my violin skills from you. Mum plays but is not as good as she says you are. You would make me very happy if you could play something for me, please?"

Deeks looked at Jackie and said, "Barely here five minutes and already she says you stink at violin and wants a performance from her dad. Now, how would I have said no to that. Give me a minute, OK?" He picked up Desi's violin and bow and slid the bow over the strings. He played a little freestyle and looked up and his audience. When they both applauded, he mock-bowed and handed the violin back to Desi. "Now, I would like to hear what this should sound like from it's owner."

Jackie sat next to Marty on the couch and watched her daughter play the solo from Bolero and saw Marty's eyes well up with proud emotions and smiled as she laced her fingers with his. As Desi finished and they both applauded her, she put her violin back in its case and said, "Now, I want to hear all about my Papa. Tell me about your life since Mum left. I want to know everything."

Marty said, "Well, after I came out of the hospital from being hit by the car, I passed the Bar Exam for California. I was a public defender for seven years and then I realized the creeps I was defending were just re-offending so, I joined LAPD. I did a lot of things I am not too proud of undercover but, after five years, I hooked up with NCIS OSP as their liason with the LAPD for four years. Last year, I finally signed the papers to join NCIS and I just got done with my training classes and got home today. Man, this is a lot to take in-I found out the love of my life is not dead and that we have a child together. I never ever thought I would get this lucky EVER."

Jackie smiled and said, "I know more about you than you think I do, love. I know what you did to make it through law school. Your, um, creative arts program at the Brickhouse Café. You were very good at what you did, if you catch my drift."

If Marty could've fallen through the floor at that moment, he would have, gladly. He just stared at her hard and said, "I never saw you there and, now that I know how old you REALLY are, you must've had a fake ID to get in there. Very illegal, love. Now, who did you score a fake ID from?"

Jackie had the grace to blush and said, "Well, when I wanted something back then, I did not let a little like my age get in the way of it. I knew of a great forger through a person I tutored at Stanford. He was not a student, of course and, he needed money very badly all the time so, when I offered him $500 to whip me up an ID, he was only too happy to do one for his friend's girl."

"You got RAY to forge your ID for you?!"

"How else was I going to get into the club you were working in? I wanted to know why you were falling asleep during my tutoring sessions and I heard a rumour of where you were working. I HAD to check it out. The things I saw were…."

"Not for public ears to hear, now, Ginger Snap. You can just go and get ready for bed and I will call room service for pizza, sodas and tubs of vanilla and strawberry ice cream-they're still your favorite flavors, right?"

Desi laughed at how embarrassed her dad was and how he was backpedalling to change the subject away from his younger life. She decided to help him and asked, "Um, Papa? Are you still a lawyer? Did Mum tell you I passed my barrister exam on the first try?"

His heart fluttered when she called him her Papa. "Yeah I am still current with my license. The amount of time and effort it took me to get the thing-I am not ever gonna let it lapse. She did tell me you passed your exam on the first try. I am so proud of you. Now, are you like one of the youngest barristers in Donegal or what?"

Desi beamed at him and said, "Not one of the youngest-THE youngest. I beat out the next youngest by five years. I like to think I get my drive to push my learning from my Mum and my Papa. She thinks I get my push to learn from my Grandfather. He is the greatest. Now that I have you in my life, do you have any family other than Uncle Ray and I guess, now I have an Aunt Jenna, too?"

Marty sort of stilled a bit at the phone after he called room service. He put the phone down and said in a quiet voice, "Um, Desi. I don't have any other family other than you two and my NCIS family at OSP. My mum is in the wind someplace and, my father is dead. He was not a nice man and I do not want to talk about him. Please? I just want to make q family with your mother the way I was supposed to and get to know my baby girl."

Jackie said, "You do remember all the times I talked to you and told you the stories about your Papa, right? Your memory is scary good so, I know you remember every story. I told you about his father and mum. Please respect his wishes and let it slide for now. You know he loves you. Leave it at that, OK?"

Desi said, "I'm just going to go and get my jammies on. If we are going to do a family night, I want the bed next to the windows, OK?" She walked into the bathroom with her jammies and shut the door.

Jackie looked into Deeks;' eyes and said, "Now, I would never tell her I saw her Papa stripping to pay for school. You know that. And I told her about your family when she was 15 because she asked me. She looked up her family tree for genealogy class and ran into roadblocks and dead ends. When I helped her out, she decided to go with my side of the family tree and eventually got her A. Are you still paying on student loans from law school?" When he nodded his head she said, "Not any more you're not. I will pay them off for you-no arguments. I want to do this for you. If I had come back to you, I would've done it 18 years ago. You know I'm rich, right? Well, Eric and I developed a pharmaceutical invention and patented it in Great Britain. It has gone worldwide and made hundreds of millions of dollars. I am a Navy Admiral in the British Navy. I make a good wage and live off if it. I rarely use the money I've made. Let me do that much for you."

He said, "I only owe thirty thousand more and it is all gone. I figured it would take me another 3 years to get it paid off if I live with Eric and don't spend a ton of money. But, I can't say no to you since you have my past hanging over my head and all…." he winked at her. She laughed. "Yes, I will let you do that for me but, you have to let me try to get to know you again and we have to try to fall in love again. Do we have a deal?"

Desi slid out of the bathroom and Jackie went in. Desi smiled and said, "Papa. All those years where we thought you were dead, Mum never stopped loving you. She married Keith Morgan but, she never really loved him the way she loved you. I was in University so I never really got to know him very well. When she married Tim McGee, she did it to try to catch the person who killed Keith. She got our step-grandmother for killing Keith but, our cousin, Robert is still out there trying to kill Mummy and anyone she falls in love with because he would not be able to compete for the Earldom with a legitimate heir. I'm not on his radar because Mum thought you were dead and did not list a dad on my birth certificate. When we finally catch Robert, can we clear that up, please? I am proud of you as my Papa. From what Mum told me, you are an amazing guy and I am so happy you are alive and want to be a part of mine and Mum's lives."

Deeks smiled at the maturity in his little girl and said, "I want to help your mum catch Robert and put him away for killing Agent McGee. From what I heard from Agent Kensi Blye, he was a really nice guy and did not deserve to die like he did. I've been gone for 12 weeks. You were in The Citadel for a few hours. Do you know anything you can tell me so I am not blindsided when I get back?"

A knock at the door brought Jackie out of the bathroom and she walked over to the door with her Black Barkclay's card and paid for the feast Marty ordered. By the time the food was on plates and the ice cream was in the freezer, Marty had his jammies on and came out into the living room area. He walked over to his phone and called Eric to make sure Monty walk fed, watered and walked for the night. Jackie took the phone from him and asked him to look in on Casper and see if he needed a walk before bed. The two of them looked at each other and said, "You have a dog?"

Desi smirked and said, "That is not the only thing-you do know you are living in the same building. Your bedrooms are next door to each other's in The Citadel. Uncle Eric told me that and laughed at me but, now I know what was so funny to him-he knew about you two-I'm gonna kill him. No, I'll bust him for sleeping with Kensi in the elevator when the power went out at the Embassy." Deeks and Jackie's faces went pale and she said, "Oh, you two didn't know? A-ha! Uncle Eric is busted!" as Desi laughed and grabbed a slice of pizza and a soda.

Jackie called Kensi and asked her what happened. She said, "You're in a hotel downtown. How do you know I'm pregnant when no one else knows?"

Jackie slumped down on the bed and said, "Well, I didn't know that till you TOLD me just now. What I wanted to know was when were you going to tell me you slept with my brother? I knew you were working on a relationship but, you slept with him?"

Deeks looked shocked. 'Kensi SLEPT with Eric? How on earth did he manage that when, in five years of knowing her, he never got past kissing her. Whoa.' Aloud, he said, "Well, at least all he did was sleep with her. Long as he didn't get her pregnant, he'll live." At Jackie's wide-eyed look at him, he gasped, "No freaking way! She IS? I'll be damned. Way to go, Eric, huh?"

"Um, Kensi, I'll have to talk to you when we get back to the house. You'll be there when we get there on Sunday night, right? We'll figure this out then, I promise. Love you. Bye!"

Jackie hung up and said, "Oy, you lot! Not a word to anyone about this. Eric doesn't know yet, I think. We have to keep this a secret till he knows, OK? I hope Hetty doesn't know till he does, at least. Oh, and before you say a word, I can handle Callen and Sam. They won't hurt Eric."

Deeks smirked, "Oh they can hurt him without leaving a mark on him. They are masters at instilling fear."

"They haven't seen me in action, yet. What you have seen of me is barely a scratch on the surface. Let them try. I'll fix their wagons

and make them fear me before they will scare my brother, you can count on that!"

Desi said, "Oh, I'm glad I'm here for this. Mum will get to kick arse and we'll get to watch. Let me know when it is going to happen and, I'll make the popcorn so we can watch the carnage with food, OK, Papa?"

Please review and let me know what you think!


	6. Chapter 6

That night was just pure magic. Marty told stories about his time with Jackie and Desi was reveling in the stories from her dad's perspective. It was interesting the details her mum left out or conveniently forgot that Deeks remembered. It was cool. She also told stories of her childhood to them both since Desi was in special schools all her life because of her advanced mind. They learned how she almost blew up the Chemistry lab experiment she was working on at age eight and how she learned to surf because boogie boarding was not much of a challenge to her at age nine. It was like all of the history of the three of them came out in that night and it was perfect.

Sunday came around fast and Desi had rehearsals and a pre-performance at the Hollywood Bowl to get the acoustics right for the show. She got to have her grandfather, mother and father there to watch her play and she was on cloud nine. After the rehearsal, the family went and grabbed dinner and went back to the mansion for time together. Marty and Gibbs got to know each other and worked out their differences over what happened over the last 18 years and realized together that all of that crap meant nothing compared to the happiness they all had to claim now. Marty asked Gibbs if, when the time was right, he could ask Jackie to marry him again. Gibbs said yes and said if he screwed this up, Ziva would kill him and Abby would hide the body so no one would ever find him period. He smiled and said, "No chance I would ever hurt her. I have always loved her-never stopped."

Jackie got a taste of her future and found it intoxicating and addictive. But, she knew her cousin, Robert would not give up till she was dead and gone so, she got a germ of an idea on how to end her terror of her once and for all. She excused herself from the gathering and called the one person who could help her end this whole thing.

"Sam Hanna, "his low voice rumbled. In her ear.

"Sam, it's Jackie. I need your help and I know this may get sticky for you and me and Marty but, I have a way to flush out and catch Robert. Do you want in?"

"Yes, " he replied without thinking. "What do you need me to do?"

That comment got Callen's attention and he raised an eyebrow at him, wondering what he just agreed to. He knew Sam was smarting after Jackie and Marty came back on Sunday and they found out he was still very much in love with her and the feelings were mutual. He wanted to know what they were planning so he could best protect Sam from being hurt again.

"Meet me at the mansion in say half an hour and you should come alone-the less people that know or, should I say are IN the know, the better, OK?"

"You got it Jacks! Whatever you want." As he hung up his end of the call, he just paid for his drinks and left the bar, telling Nell, "Make sure he does not follow me, please. I'll fill you both in when it's time, alright?"

He drove out to the mansion and walked into the foyer and was greeted by Desi who he had briefly met and knew was Jackie's child. She said, "Hey, Sam. When you say 'I'll be right over.'you aren't joking, huh?" She turned away from him for a second and called out, "Mummy! Papa! Grandfather! Sam is here!"

Sam walked into the living room and met Jackie and Gibbs and-hang on a damn minute-DEEKS?! Deeks is her father? How in the-

Jackie gave Sam a hug and smiled up at him. "Sam, I can see the wheels turning in your head right now. Yes, Marty is her father-he is my Michael-only he changed his name and I could never find him."

Sam composed himself in record time and asked, "Why am I here? What is this plan you have in mind and why can't Callen be in on it right now?"

"OK, what I have in mind I want to make clear is very risky. The best rule my dad ever taught me was if you have to tell a secret-tell only those closest to you and that includes you, Sam. You have things for this mission that are necessary and I need you to say yes. Once I have laid out the plan, that is."

Gibbs just looked at Sam and said, "She's kinda bent the rule a bit but, I think I know what she's got in mind."

Desi and Deeks just sat on the couch with Sam and Gibbs as Jackie laid out her plan to them. "It is dead simple-we get Robert out of the woodwork by planning to get me married at Christmas time. That's why he's here of course. I already have an engagement ring so the proposal will look genuine as it is MY ring that Marty gave me 18 years ago. No, I don't want Marty to be the one to ask me to marry him. That would just let that wanker know he screwed up in his attempt on Marty's life back then and automatically make Desi a target for him to kill thinking she would be the legitimate heir to the Earldom now. No, it has to be you, Sam. You have to propose to me in public and I will say yes. Then, we can plan a wedding that hopefully culminates in Robert tipping his hand and trying to kill you. That's when we'll get him and put him away and this whole nightmare can be over. Can you help us with this, please?"

Sam was stunned and sat bolt upright in his chair. "Is Deeks OK with me 'sweeping you off your feet'? I mean, I'll do it of course but, only if he can keep his feelings to himself when we are all out in public so it looks real, you know?"

"Jackie says this is the sure fire best way to bring him out in the open so, I will do whatever it takes to safe guard my daughter and keep her out of the line of fire. Here is where our relationship stays-out there, I am trusting you Sam with the most important woman ever in my life and I swear, Navy Seal training be damned, if you get her hurt in any way, I will find a way to kill you and hide the body so you won't be found till the NEXT Ice Age-do I make myself clear?" Deeks stood toe to toe with Sam and stared him down the best he could.

Sam gulped and nodded. "She will be as safe with me as she would be with you out there, I promise you that. We've sort of established ourselves as an out and about couple as we have been in the background of a few articles in the LA Times already. If we go out as a team and I propose to her in a public restaurant style setting, the press will catch wind of it and it will be viral by Tuesday. What do you say, Ms. McDonald, care to get engaged tomorrow night?"

She giggled and said, "I've been engaged to this man," as she twined her fingers in Marty's, "for the past 18 years. Good news is I can wear the ring on my finger and mean it now. Bad news is it is going to get sticky before we can get married for real, Marty, love. Hope you can handle a bit of mush and gush between here and our birthday."

Sam called his nanny and had her pack up the kids and take them to his mother's house in Brooklyn, New York, for the holidays and said, "My kids are out of sight and safe for this one. I don't want them to have to meet their fake potential new stepmother and have the rug yanked out from under them when it is revealed to the rest of the team as a huge lie."

Jackie grabbed Sam's hand and said, "You cannot tell a soul what we are doing! No one, not even Hetty has a clue about this and I don't want to endanger anyone-do I make myself clear. I'm not telling Eric and you can't tell Callen. Pinky swear, Sam, please!"as she looped her pinky around his and squeezed it. He squeezed it back and nodded his head slowly.

"Wait, Hetty doesn't know about this? How are you going to make them think you passed up the love of your life for me when he is right here in front of you?"

Marty said, "Leave everything to me. I have that covered. I'll just tell them that I am happy for you both and I knew I would never have a shot when compared to the mighty Sam Hanna. But, in this house, she is off limits to everyone but me. I just discovered the Rabbit Hole door between her quarters and mine and I plan on keeping our love in those place and no where else-got me?"

All heads nodded in agreement and Gibbs said, "Let's put this plan into motion and get all the players interested. When he is ready we HAVE to be ready, too. This means we have to throw an engagement party at the Embassy, perhaps and see if he shows up to kill Sam and or you, Pam. If he does, we'll nail him to the floor and finish this."

Jackie called the British Embassy and asked if they could have the Grand Ball Room for December 1st for a party. They agreed because of who she was and that she was paying for the whole event. How could they say no to Lady Pamela McDonald, future Countess of Donegal? "God, I hate having to throw my title around to get things done."

Marty cocked his head to one side and asked, "If you would be the Countess, what would that make me when we get married? The Count?"

Gibbs cuffed him in the back of the head and said, "No, Marty-that makes you her Consort. She has the better title and you, not being born royal, get the role of being her Consort when you get hitched. Like I am just her humble father with no title and I like it that way. I can see your wheels turning, Pamela. I do not want the title of Consort to the Countess' Mother or some such thing. No."

She smiled and said, "Can't blame a girl for trying to make her Papa her mum's Consort. It IS what should have happened all those years ago. I know. I know. If that had happened, you would have never had Shannon and my sister Kelly and would've never joined NCIS and I would not be waiting on my twin siblings and have my awesome stepmum Abby. You will always be my hero, Papa." Gibbs could not help but hug her and she said, "Right, so let's get this party organized and see what happens."

Marty said, "For obvious reasons, I will not be there. And, neither will Desi. We have a date at the Hollywood Bowl for her performance. Good luck and keep yourselves safe, please."

The next day, it took everything in her to make herself sob hysterically as she ran to the bathroom leaving a stunned Eric, Kensi, Nell and Callen in her wake. Callen said, "What did Deeks do to her? Kensi. Nell. Go on in there and find out what happened. If he hurt her, I'll kill him-I swear it."

Sam can in from being in court that morning and heard about her and Marty breaking up from Callen. He said, "I am not surprised. He saw us getting close and freaked out. Played an old jealousy card from 18 years ago and she snapped. She was scary angry-the kind that you don't want to see-and I ended up staying at her place last night to comfort her. Apparently, he had to try one last time to split us up, huh? That's why she was upset. Let me talk to her."

Callen's jaw hit the floor and he sat at his desk. When Kensi and Nell came out of the ladies room, he said, "Sam and her are together and Deeks couldn't handle it. Apparently, she has a temper if you piss her off the wrong way."

Eric overheard this conversation and thought to himself, "SAM and her are together? When and HOW did this happen?"

Sam went in the ladies room and found Jackie and said, "Jacks? I think they all believed our chain of events and it is a good thing that Deeks is clearing out his LAPD locker today and spending it at the beach. Callen wants his head on a stick."

Jackie went over to him and smiled, saying, "All we have left to do is convince the one person who knows if we are lying or not."

Both of them said, "Hetty."


	7. Chapter 7

Henrietta Lange walked into the OSP and headed for her desk. She had learned of Ms. Blye's pregnancy through channels and was waiting for her to tell her herself. She knew of Mr. Deeks having Desi as a daughter and was happy he was a father at last and could pour his love into her. She also knew that Mr. Hanna had sent his kids to NYC to visit his mother and thought that was a good idea. She thought something was up with all of her agents asking her to come out with them for a drink after work and so, out of curiosity, she agreed to attend this gathering. She arrived at the upscale bar and thought to herself that Pamela must have chosen this place as it is a place to see and be seen in. She watched her pay for the first round of drinks and sit down at the table with a bottle of good Scotch and a pitcher of pina coladas and a smile. Sam was the last to arrive and she asked him, "Sam, where have you been?" as she kissed him on the cheek in hello. Hetty thought, 'Um, THAT'S new.' She really got a shock when Sam asked her to dance to a slow song and she walked to the dance floor hand in hand with her agent. Just when she was about to ask why were they all there, a photographer went up to the couple and asked if Lady Pamela wanted her picture taken. She nodded her head and just when he was ready to snap the shot, Sam got down on one knee and asked, "Jacks, will you please do me the honor of marrying me?" This stunned the gather of friends and made the photographer go mental with his camera snapping multiple shots of the ring and Jackie saying, "Yes, Sam, I'll marry you!" as he kissed her on the lips, drawing Callen up speechless.

Hetty smiled and said, "This was the reason for the impromptu gathering tonight? Pamela, are you sure you want to marry again?"

Jackie smiled and said, "I cannot think of a better man to marry than Sam Hanna, one of the sweetest men I have ever known!" She said that for the benefit of the press that had gathered around her because of the proposal because she knew it would be viral by the morning.

Sam was outwardly pleased he had pulled off the proposal and had stunned his friends into silence. Inside, however, he was shaking because he really wanted to be the one in her life and he knew for sure that was not to be. With Marty's ring finally on her finger, she felt happy for the first time in 18 years because, as Sam was on one knee doing it in public, through ear wigs from the mini-ops center in the mansion, Deeks was proposing to her through her ear wig so when she said, "Yes! I'll marry you!"that was meant for him to hear and he said, "I love you so much, my gorgeous Ginger Snap!"making her giggle as Sam slid the ring on. Sam thought it made things more believable to the team and he was right-it worked like a charm. Callen was the first out of his seat to off congratulations to his friend and kiss his new fiancée on the cheek. Nell was right behind her with a hug and Eric was just stunned stone silent by this unexpected and completely out of line bit of news.

Jackie said, "We need to set a date. I'd love a Christmas wedding, Sam. What do you think of December 23rd? It would be good to have it here before we go back to Donegal. We can have it at Hetty's house and have the reception here."

Hetty offered her congratulations and said she would be honored to hold the ceremony at her place and perform it is we wanted her to. The press was hanging on the spur of the moment plans and recording every word. As we planned. Deeks murmured in my ear, "Well played, my love. Well played. Now, we can control where we catch the bastard."

Gibbs smiled and congratulated them both on the joyful news. He knew Marty was listening so, he said, "I am happy to be getting him for a son-in-law. Everything is as it should be."

bridesmaids-you ladies want the jobs?" When Kensi and Nell nodded she said, "Kensi can be my maid of honor and Nell, the bridesmaid. I trust you want Callen as your best man and Eric as a groomsman. Papa will be giving me away, of course. We're set." And then, as an afterthought to the gathered press, "Oh come on. You should be invited too. At least, the guy who took the shot of Sam going down on one knee, OK?" That guy smiled happily as he would get the wedding shots and make a pile of money, he thought to himself.

"Well, we should get going back to our houses, people." Hetty said, trying to put the pieces together in her mind. "We still have bad guys to catch and cannot afford a late Monday night out now, can we?"

When everyone was gone except for Callen and Hetty, she grabbed him by the arm and said, "Keep a sharp eye on Mr. Hanna. I fear the game is afoot and Sam and Pamela just began playing Chess with a dangerous man. Be on your guard!"

When Callen and Nell got back to her place, she was bouncing on the bed with excitement. "Oh wow! We have to go dress shopping tomorrow and shoe shopping and we can afford anything she wants because she is paying for it all! She just texted me the details. We are going to a design house for dresses after work. Can't. Wait!"

Callen was trying to be happy for Sam but in his gut, he knew something was going on and Hetty being put on alert-well, that just cemented his feeling that this wedding would not happen. He was scared for Sam and for Jackie. Something was going to happen and he could feel it in the shorthairs on the back of his neck pricking up.

Sam went back to his home and packed a big bag of his clothes. He then drove to the mansion and upon coming in went to a guest room and settled in for the night. Desi and Deeks were brought up to speed and then, the lights were dimmed and everyone went to bed. All except for Deeks who went to the Rabbit Hole door and knocked three times on it. Jackie let him in and he walked straight into her arms as she hugged him close to just feel his body against hers. His nose twitched a bit and he said, "I am sorry, Ginger but you smell like Sam. He wears some strong cologne, that Sam Hanna does. Whoa!"

Jackie giggled and said, "I should put this shirt in my hamper and take a shower to properly get rid of his scent." She cleared her throat and asked in a small voice, " Can I have a volunteer to take off this smelly shirt?"

Marty smiled and said, "Well, I think that will always be me."as he slowly undid the buttons on her blouse and slid it from her shouders, revealing her ivory camisole, making her breath hitch in her chest. He just looked at her and murmured, "Better than I remembered it from my dreams." He kissed her bared skin and she sighed breathlessly.

He skimmed her back with the lightest of touches and slid his hands to the zipper on her skirt, sliding down and letting the material fall to the floor. His gasp at the sight of her in a thong to match her cami made her smile and say, "I always match but, I hoped you would see this set-its new."

"My turn to undress you some, love."as Jackie held him in her arms for the briefest of moments and let him inhale the traces of her perfume-Dior-which she had always used. The heady scent was driving him crazy but, she broke his hold on her to remove his button down shirt and skim his bare chest with the pads of her fingers as he moaned her name in a gasping voice. She was making him come undone and she was loving his voice as he moaned for her to not stop. "Oh, Marty, this is only the start of our future together." She kissed his chest over his heart and said, "Mine." As she reached for and unbuckled his belt and pulled it from around his waist. It dropped to the floor as she unbuttoned his jeans and slid them and his boxers to the floor with a moan of her own. "Damn, love! You are better than any of my fantasies!"

"Oh yeah?" he challenged her as she reached out and touched his hardness as he bucked into her hand. He was going to finish before he ever even saw her naked if she kept just touching him. Marty slid her cami up over her head and saw that she was not wearing a bra. "How did I miss this?" as he nuzzled her breast with his nose and let the scruff of his cheek make the nipple harden in desire. He hooked his fingers in her thong and slid it over her hips and down to the floor. She pout her hands on his shoulders and stepped out of it with a knowing smile on her face. She moved to take him back in hand and she led him to her California King sized bed. He fell back on it and laughed until she straddled his waist and leaned over his body to kiss him, her lips slowly teasing his open to make room for her tongue. She tickled the roof of his mouth and he stopped laughing as she slid her mouth down his body, whispering, "Mine." She flicked out her tongue and touched the moisture on his manhood making all thoughts of taking this slow fly out the window.

"If you don't stop what you're doing, I won't make it to the finish. Please, I need to be with you more than you need to do what you are doing!" he panted out in fast clipped sentences. She wasted no time and slid up his body and took him in, her muscles clenching around him as she cried out for him. The laid there, locked in that embrace, thrusting into each other, finding that all the time that had passed had not changed their rhythm at all. When they finally, climaxed into each other, they were looking into each other's eyes and both of them said the same thing, "Home."

Marty woke up the next morning with Jackie's red hair fanned out over his chest and he could not believe how much she had filled the hole in his heart again. He softly stroked her hair and she wrapped her legs around his thigh tighter. Caressing her bared shoulder, he said, "You're mine. Always and forever."against her skin. He threaded his fingers into her hair and cupped her head to his chest. He slid back into sleep with a smile on his lips.

An hour or so later, Jackie woke up and sighed as she knew Marty was there. She could smell him and taste his skin on her tongue. She kissed his chest and ghosted her hand over his breast making his nipples harden and arousing him. When her hand slid down his stomach, he caught her hand and said, "No fair starting without me." Tracing his tight six-pack stomach with her hands she grinned and said, "Just mapping out my territory and memorizing what makes you happy again. I missed you so much, I ached for this every night?"

Marty glanced at the clock on her bedside table and groaned. "We have to get up and go to work in an hour." He made a move to get out of bed but, Jackie held onto his thigh with her legs and said, "Jackie, we could always shower together if you don't want to let go of me so soon."

They showered and made love again while getting cleaned up for work. He went to his rooms, got dressed and fixed his hair. Jackie slid into a crisp green tee and black linen pants and ballet flats. She was putting the finishing touches on her French braid when a knock on her bedroom outer door signaled Sam coming to give her a ride to work in his Challenger. Had to keep up appearances. She said, "Be there in a minute, Sam!" Marty appeared at the go-between door to his room and watched Jackie slide on her engagement ring and smiled. He whispered, "I promise when this is all over, I am gonna make an honest woman out of you, my Ginger Snap!" She crossed the floor in three quick strides and kissed the stuffing out of him, leaving him breathless and deliciously happy.

Sam and Jackie drove into work together and, for the covert mission they were doing, kissed as they walked into OSP. Marty averted his eyes because, while he knew Jackie loved him, Sam's feelings were a different matter. He knew that Sam was falling in love with her. He did not want to watch him kissing Jackie because he thought his jealousy would be written all over his face. He could not risk the rest of the team figuring out their plan yet.

Gibbs walked in and brought him a coffee and said, "Marty, can we talk for a bit?"

He followed Gibbs to the courtyard and sat on the stone bench. "Look, I have to tell ya, this is hell for me. I mean, I just get the love of my whole life back and I have to watch Sam Hanna make her giggle and he gets to kiss her for HER GOOD. He just kissed her practically in front of me and I had to stand there and try REAL hard not to shoot him for it. Had to remind myself, 'This ruse is to flush out the guy that wants to kill her.' It's gonna kill me before it ends, I swear it."

Gibbs said, "Hell, Marty, I know. But, I also know she loves only you. It's only for the next seven weeks till right before Christmas and then, if we haven't nailed his ass by then, she will stage a huge break up with Sam and you can do the 'pick up the pieces' routine and be with her. I want Robert to slip up so I can pay him back for killing Tim McGee. Pamela only married him to get away from him while she grieved her losing Keith. I never met him but, from what she says, he was the British equal of you and she has always loved you."

Meanwhile, across town, Robert was chatting on the phone. "Is her love for this ex-SEAL legit? They have set a date already? Well, well. This is news. Good thing I have you on the inside to watch things for me. If she tries to elope, let me know. I have to make plans to end this fight on my terms."

The voice on the other end of the phone said, "I want out of this race. Is the money you say there for the taking?"

Robert smirked and said, "The estate is worth half a billion dollars. When she's dead, all of her holdings fall into the Earldom. Will a hundred and twenty-five million sooth your conscious and make her death easier on you?"

"She means nothing to me. That's not the issue. I just want my fair share so I can disappear and never see any OSP people ever again."the voice said clipping his words as only he could. He said, "Just do what needs to be done while I monitor her from here, Mr. McDonald. I have seven weeks till I can retire to a nice little spot in the Caribbean. Let's make it work out for the both of us."

Robert hung up the phone and said to himself, "This inside info better be legit or I will fry his ass and kill her and her new man all on my own."

The day shift entered OSP and the man on the phone slid in with them all. He tapped Sam Hanna on the shoulder and smiled at him, shaking his hand in congratulations on his engagement to 'such a pretty lady'. Sam smiled and thanked Granger for his good wishes. Granger walked away thinking, 'T-minus seven weeks till you're both dead and I can retire from the spy game a rich son of a bitch!"

A/N: Hope this chapter was worth the wait. A lot of plot points in one episode. People who hate can step off. If you like, review, please!

Jackie took Sam's hands in hers and said, "Well, now that we have a wedding site and a reception site, we need a tux and a dress and I need


	8. Chapter 8

Deeks walked into OSP and sat at his desk. The mountain of paperwork he had to fill in from when he was gone looked insane to his eyes. 'How is it that I am not even here for the last 12 weeks and I have this to do?' He shook his head and took the first file from the pile. Sam and Jackie went out with Callen and worked the latest case they had caught about a Marine who got kidnapped because he had a rich family. They went to the ransom drop and were about to strike when Jackie's nerves were set on edge. She motioned to Sam that she was doing a loop to check for more kidnappers. She took out her crossbow and put her Sig back in its holster. She was better with the weapon she now hefted and wanted a live suspect to arrest and put in jail. She found a kidnapper and fired at his knees, taking them both out in one clean shot. As he dropped to the ground in pain and about to scream from it, she was on him and knocked him out with one pop in his jaw from her elbow. She loaded another arrow and went off in search of a second target after she handcuffed the unconscious bad guy to a drain pipe. She got the second guy in the shoulder as he bent over just as she fired, damn her luck. He screamed out in pain before she could knock him out and alerted the other three bad guys. They took up defensive positions on Callen and Sam and were trading shots with them like a weird tennis match. Callen winged one of them in the arm and called to Eric through the ear wig, "Got one in the arm. Need a bus now, Eric. Jackie is doing a perimieter sweep. Sam and I are pinned down by the other two kidnappers. The Marine is behind Sam and is safe for now. Could use the Calvary right now."

Jackie whistled loudly, drawing the attention of one of the kidnappers, easily allowing Sam to take a shot and nail him in the chest, killing him instantly. Callen called out, "How many are left to get? I count two more and one of them is hit in the arm!"

Jackie called back, "I got two of them myself and there weren't any more left outside." She had a bead on the injured one and used her Ninja throwing stars to hit him in the knee and in the other arm, effectively taking him down. She pulled out another set of cuffs and attached him to a pipe on the floor saying, "Stay. Good crook."as she gagged him with his own belt. She could see the last kidnapper had Sam pinned down under a tin roof and was shooting through it in an attempt to hit him and the Marine hostage. The hostage was badly beaten and looked about to pass out. Callen drew his fire and Jackie nailed him in the leg with an arrow from her crossbow set for maximum thrust. It went through his leg and hit the wall, pinning him there as he screamed in pain. She walked over to him and snapped him head around with the roundhouse punch she hit his jaw with, knocking him out cold. Sam stepped out from under the roof and smiled saying, "That's my girl! Good one Jacks!"

When they had all of the bad guys loaded into ambulances and the dead one in the coroner's van, Jackie smiled at Sam and Callen and said, "See, mates? That is how you take em down and get criminals for prison. Four kidnappers in the Nick and one in the morgue-that is good police type work!"

Callen said, "Jackie, you did good but, we aren't gonna have you forever. We use guns because that is what we use. Not all of us can pull out a crossbow and go Robin Hood on the bad guys, you know what I mean?"

Sam was about to step in but Jackie said, "Well, if I am Robin Hood, that makes Sam Maid Marian and you Friar Tuck!" as she laughed at her own joke.

Sam started to laugh and stopped. "What-wait! I am no one's Maid Marian! I am more like Little John in this op. But, I agree, Jacks. Callen as Friar Tuck works!"

Deeks, Eric, Kensi and Nell were in Ops, laughing at this discussion until Hetty said, "I sincerely hope that Robin, John and the good Friar get themselves back to Ops soon so they can debrief the hostage and reunite him with his unit and his family. I like the King Richard role for myself. Only I think I am Queen Hetty in this scenario!"

Deeks could not stop from saying in a quiet voice, "Granger is Prince John and I like the role of Will Scarlet for myself!"

Jackie heard him and smiled to herself, filing that away for later that night when they got back home.

Jackie, arriving first at the mansion, went into the kitchen and, using the voice activated control said, "Computer on. Play BBC Radio One. Level 7." She was listening to the Midnight Mix deejay and was relaxing into making a simple homemade macaroni and cheese with crunchy bacon topping-her brand of comfort food. Jackie was dancing around the kitchen to the song on the radio-an old song from when she was a child-Europe's 'The Final Countdown'. She never heard Eric, Kensi, Deeks and Sam walking in from work. . The smells made the four agents mouths water. Sam said, "I'll make a salad to go with this, OK? We need our veggies, you know!" She was air-drumming when Sam walked into the kitchen and was soundly smacked in the head with a wooden spoon and Jackie shouted, "Ahhhh! Sam you scared the daylights out of me!"

Deeks was doubled over in laughter at the sight of Sam with a spoon mark on his head. Kensi went to the freezer and got an ice pak out. Wrapping it in a towel, she put it on his head and said, "That's gonna leave a mark, just so you know." Callen said, "Maybe next time, Little John you let Robin Hood know you're in her kitchen before you pop around the corner and get attacked with a spoon!" as he laughed as well.


End file.
